What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Monday, April 18, 2016,^ Mr. James wirfel^, holder of airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificate number ^2751399^, operated as the pilot in command of a Cessna 182A, registered as N9909B, serial number 34309. The aircraft is registered to hbc aero LLC located at 15055 fuente de paz, rancho murieta, CA 95683.
The flight originated from rancho murieta airport (kriu) in northern California and began a multiple leg cross country flight. The first planned leg of the flight was to big bear city airport (L35) in southern California, followed by mcclennan-palomar airport (kcrq), fresno chandler executive airport (kfch), and returning to kriu. The aircraft departed kriu with a total of four occupants on board including the pilot.
During the flight en route to L35 the pilot explained that because of time and fuel considerations he elected to land at hesperia airport (L26) and get fuel instead of continiuing to L35. After landing he discovered that L26 fuel service was not in operation due to unforseen reasons. He decided to depart L26 and fly approximately thirteen miles north by northeast to apple valley airport (kapv). At kapv N9909B took on 56 gallons of 100LL fuel, the aircraft then departed and continued to kcrq. While at kcrq, two passengers disembarked while one passenger remained onboard the aircraft. No additional fuel was taken on at this time. The flight departing kcrq was determined to be an instructional flight and the student pilot's first time receiving dual in flight.
The pilot explained while enroute to kfch, that they decided to plan on stopping at madera municipal airport (kmae) instead. Kmae is located 20 nautical miles further northwest than kfch.
At approximately 01:05 UTC, N9909B, during a descent en route to kmae, lost power and made an off field landing 1 nautical mile north by northeast of Selma airport (0Q4). The pilot explained that the engine suddenly quit and would not successfully restart. The aircraft came to rest in an inverted position, resting on the nose cowling, windshield, and leading edge of the wings. Ground scarring indicated that the aircrafts final heading was approximately 300 degrees magnetic before flipping over. N9909B made ground contact and stopped, all within 75 feet. The field was composed of several weeds and very soft dry dirt. Based on damage to the propeller the aircraft landed with little or no power.
An initial review of the aircraft engine revealed that the glass gascalator was full of uncontaminated 100LL fuel. After the wings were removed from the aircraft, each wing was drained of fuel. The right wing contained less than 3 ounces of fuel and the left wing contained 2 to 3 quarts of fuel. The area around the aircraft indicated that no fuel had leaked from the tanks as the aircraft sat inverted. As the wings were flipped over and it was discovered that the aircraft had monarch fuel caps installed, however there were no fuel placards affixed near the fuel caps. The monarch caps were secure and appeared to be installed securly.
In addition, as the aircraft was returned to the upright position and suspended in a level attitude, no oil appeared to be leaking from the engine. The engine oil dipstick indicated 10 quarts of oil. The aircraft propeller also rotated freely with no unusual resistance.
As the FAA filed it
ON MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016,^ MR. JAMES WIRFEL^, HOLDER OF AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^2751399^, OPERATED AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A CESSNA 182A, REGISTERED AS N9909B, SERIAL NUMBER 34309. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO HBC AERO LLC LOCATED AT 15055 FUENTE DE PAZ, RANCHO MURIETA, CA 95683.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM RANCHO MURIETA AIRPORT (KRIU) IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BEGAN A MULTIPLE LEG CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FIRST PLANNED LEG OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT (L35) IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWED BY MCCLENNAN-PALOMAR AIRPORT (KCRQ), FRESNO CHANDLER EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KFCH), AND RETURNING TO KRIU. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KRIU WITH A TOTAL OF FOUR OCCUPANTS ON BOARD INCLUDING THE PILOT.
DURING THE FLIGHT EN ROUTE TO L35 THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE OF TIME AND FUEL CONSIDERATIONS HE ELECTED TO LAND AT HESPERIA AIRPORT (L26) AND GET FUEL INSTEAD OF CONTINIUING TO L35. AFTER LANDING HE DISCOVERED THAT L26 FUEL SERVICE WAS NOT IN OPERATION DUE TO UNFORSEEN REASONS. HE DECIDED TO DEPART L26 AND FLY APPROXIMATELY THIRTEEN MILES NORTH BY NORTHEAST TO APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT (KAPV). AT KAPV N9909B TOOK ON 56 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL, THE AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED AND CONTINUED TO KCRQ. WHILE AT KCRQ, TWO PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED WHILE ONE PASSENGER REMAINED ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT. NO ADDITIONAL FUEL WAS TAKEN ON AT THIS TIME. THE FLIGHT DEPARTING KCRQ WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AND THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST TIME RECEIVING DUAL IN FLIGHT.
THE PILOT EXPLAINED WHILE ENROUTE TO KFCH, THAT THEY DECIDED TO PLAN ON STOPPING AT MADERA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMAE) INSTEAD. KMAE IS LOCATED 20 NAUTICAL MILES FURTHER NORTHWEST THAN KFCH.
AT APPROXIMATELY 01:05 UTC, N9909B, DURING A DESCENT EN ROUTE TO KMAE, LOST POWER AND MADE AN OFF FIELD LANDING 1 NAUTICAL MILE NORTH BY NORTHEAST OF SELMA AIRPORT (0Q4). THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT AND WOULD NOT SUCCESSFULLY RESTART. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION, RESTING ON THE NOSE COWLING, WINDSHIELD, AND LEADING EDGE OF THE WINGS. GROUND SCARRING INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFTS FINAL HEADING WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 DEGREES MAGNETIC BEFORE FLIPPING OVER. N9909B MADE GROUND CONTACT AND STOPPED, ALL WITHIN 75 FEET. THE FIELD WAS COMPOSED OF SEVERAL WEEDS AND VERY SOFT DRY DIRT. BASED ON DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH LITTLE OR NO POWER.
AN INITIAL REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE GLASS GASCALATOR WAS FULL OF UNCONTAMINATED 100LL FUEL. AFTER THE WINGS WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, EACH WING WAS DRAINED OF FUEL. THE RIGHT WING CONTAINED LESS THAN 3 OUNCES OF FUEL AND THE LEFT WING CONTAINED 2 TO 3 QUARTS OF FUEL. THE AREA AROUND THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT NO FUEL HAD LEAKED FROM THE TANKS AS THE AIRCRAFT SAT INVERTED. AS THE WINGS WERE FLIPPED OVER AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD MONARCH FUEL CAPS INSTALLED, HOWEVER THERE WERE NO FUEL PLACARDS AFFIXED NEAR THE FUEL CAPS. THE MONARCH CAPS WERE SECURE AND APPEARED TO BE INSTALLED SECURLY.
IN ADDITION, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND SUSPENDED IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, NO OIL APPEARED TO BE LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK INDICATED 10 QUARTS OF OIL. THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER ALSO ROTATED FREELY WITH NO UNUSUAL RESISTANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.