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20170622009569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182P · Doniphan, MO · June 22, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 22, 2017 · 20:25 local
Place
Doniphan, MO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1800M
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA17CA361
Reported as
Cessna 182P
Reported engine
Continental O-470-U
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
237 total114 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N1800MRegistration cancelled Jun 19, 2018 · Cessna 182PS/N 18264452 · Built 1975Airframe modelCessna 182PEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

FAA inspectors arrived at the scene approximately 12:00 pm on June 23, 2017, with light rain in the area.

The front of the aircraft was considerably damaged, including the prop and the nose wheel. The fuselage skin was wrinkled all the way back to the tail. The left hand elevator was also considerably damaged. Post crash inspection showed both fuel tanks were empty, and both gauges in the cockpit showed empty. Operations inspectors stated that the fuel gauges are only accurate at "full", and that pilots do not use the gauges to monitor their fuel. There was evidence of fuel siphoning out of the right wing fuel cap as indicated by the blue colored fuel residue transsitioning from the fuel cap to the trailing edge of the wing.

Per the pilot's statement, he filled the LH fuel tank with 20 gallons, and the RH fuel tank with 27.5 gallons at the FBO in killeen, Texas (kile) where he took off from. The plan was to fly to cape girardeau (kcgi), he had just passed Doniphan airport (X33) when he started to lose engine power. He stated that he pushed the mixture full rich, but the engine did nothing. He declared an emergency to memphis center, they advised of Doniphan airport 5 miles behind him. He turned 180 to try to get back to donihan airport. He made it about 2.5 miles back towards Doniphan airport (KX33) before running out of airspeed and altitude. He tried to find an open area to land, hit a fence post on the way down and rolled approximately 220 feet, ending up running into the side of a garage. He also stated that the passenger fuel cap (SIC)(right wing monarch fuel cap) has been an issue since he bought into the pland last January (2016) and has been known to allow fuel to be sighpned out of it. He stated the caps have been looked at, and parts replaced on a couple occasions. The mechanic verified in his statement that there had been some maintenance done.

The maintenance manuals were reviewed, and did not find log book entries for any maintenance done on the fuel system. On 7-14-2017 the mechanic emailed copies of the log book entry for fuel system maintenance done on 3-6-16.

Verified the airworthiness directives were up to date. There are no airworthiness directive that were related to his event.

Verified the log book entry and 337 for installation of hartwig aircraft fuel cell repair STC SA2376CE on 8-24-2015, which is the STC for the monarch fuel caps installation.

This investigation is ongoing and this report will be amended if additional information is received.

As the FAA filed it

FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE APPROXIMATELY 12:00 PM ON JUNE 23, 2017, WITH LIGHT RAIN IN THE AREA.

THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSIDERABLY DAMAGED, INCLUDING THE PROP AND THE NOSE WHEEL. THE FUSELAGE SKIN WAS WRINKLED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TAIL. THE LEFT HAND ELEVATOR WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLY DAMAGED. POST CRASH INSPECTION SHOWED BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, AND BOTH GAUGES IN THE COCKPIT SHOWED EMPTY. OPERATIONS INSPECTORS STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES ARE ONLY ACCURATE AT "FULL", AND THAT PILOTS DO NOT USE THE GAUGES TO MONITOR THEIR FUEL. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL SIPHONING OUT OF THE RIGHT WING FUEL CAP AS INDICATED BY THE BLUE COLORED FUEL RESIDUE TRANSSITIONING FROM THE FUEL CAP TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING.

PER THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE FILLED THE LH FUEL TANK WITH 20 GALLONS, AND THE RH FUEL TANK WITH 27.5 GALLONS AT THE FBO IN KILLEEN, TEXAS (KILE) WHERE HE TOOK OFF FROM. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY TO CAPE GIRARDEAU (KCGI), HE HAD JUST PASSED DONIPHAN AIRPORT (X33) WHEN HE STARTED TO LOSE ENGINE POWER. HE STATED THAT HE PUSHED THE MIXTURE FULL RICH, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOTHING. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO MEMPHIS CENTER, THEY ADVISED OF DONIPHAN AIRPORT 5 MILES BEHIND HIM. HE TURNED 180 TO TRY TO GET BACK TO DONIHAN AIRPORT. HE MADE IT ABOUT 2.5 MILES BACK TOWARDS DONIPHAN AIRPORT (KX33) BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. HE TRIED TO FIND AN OPEN AREA TO LAND, HIT A FENCE POST ON THE WAY DOWN AND ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 220 FEET, ENDING UP RUNNING INTO THE SIDE OF A GARAGE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER FUEL CAP (SIC)(RIGHT WING MONARCH FUEL CAP) HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE HE BOUGHT INTO THE PLAND LAST JANUARY (2016) AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO ALLOW FUEL TO BE SIGHPNED OUT OF IT. HE STATED THE CAPS HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT, AND PARTS REPLACED ON A COUPLE OCCASIONS. THE MECHANIC VERIFIED IN HIS STATEMENT THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME MAINTENANCE DONE.

THE MAINTENANCE MANUALS WERE REVIEWED, AND DID NOT FIND LOG BOOK ENTRIES FOR ANY MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE FUEL SYSTEM. ON 7-14-2017 THE MECHANIC EMAILED COPIES OF THE LOG BOOK ENTRY FOR FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE DONE ON 3-6-16.

VERIFIED THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES WERE UP TO DATE. THERE ARE NO AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE THAT WERE RELATED TO HIS EVENT.

VERIFIED THE LOG BOOK ENTRY AND 337 FOR INSTALLATION OF HARTWIG AIRCRAFT FUEL CELL REPAIR STC SA2376CE ON 8-24-2015, WHICH IS THE STC FOR THE MONARCH FUEL CAPS INSTALLATION.

THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING AND THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS RECEIVED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA17CA361Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportDoniphan, MOThe pilot’s improper decision to take off with a known fuel leak, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.Jun 23, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1800M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19781030039109ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Buckeye, AZPilt veered rt to avoid cotton trailer on lft side,nose wheel dugsoft spot,flipped over.Oct 30, 1978 · Substantial damage