What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/11/18 the pilot of registered aircraft N2394G a Cessna 182B experienced engine roughness at 11,600 ft, while performing commercial aerial survey work just southwest of bloomington Illinois. The pilot reported he was heading for logan county airport (aaa) to refuel and change out batteries from the externaly mounted camera used for his survey project. During this time the pilot was communicating with chicago center on flight following. He was handed off to peoria approach while starting his descent to aaa. During descent the pilot experienced no throttle response and applied carburator heat, while simutaniously reporting his situation to pia approach. At some point the pilot regained engine power briefly. Peoria approached asked the pilot if he would like to declare an emergency and the response from the pilot was "no not at this time." Continuing on flight path to logan county airport (aaa) at 2000FT engine power was lost entirely. The pilot reported to pia approach that he was not going to make logan county airport and instead he was going to land on the interstate. The aircraft struck a vehicle driving on the road with the left main tire and gear assembly. Consequently, the landing gear was sheared off the airframe by impact and pilot landed with one wheel on the pavement. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained by the vehicles occupants or aircraft occupants. The plane came to rest on the northbound lanes of interstate IL-55. The aircraft was substantually damaged with missing fixed gear assembly, bent wing strut and left rear horizontal stabilizer/elevator. The aircraft was moved by tow truck to owners hanger at logan county airport (aaa) and inspected by both FAA airworthiness and operations inspectors.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/11/18 THE PILOT OF REGISTERED AIRCRAFT N2394G A CESSNA 182B EXPERIENCED ENGINE ROUGHNESS AT 11,600 FT, WHILE PERFORMING COMMERCIAL AERIAL SURVEY WORK JUST SOUTHWEST OF BLOOMINGTON ILLINOIS. THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS HEADING FOR LOGAN COUNTY AIRPORT (AAA) TO REFUEL AND CHANGE OUT BATTERIES FROM THE EXTERNALY MOUNTED CAMERA USED FOR HIS SURVEY PROJECT. DURING THIS TIME THE PILOT WAS COMMUNICATING WITH CHICAGO CENTER ON FLIGHT FOLLOWING. HE WAS HANDED OFF TO PEORIA APPROACH WHILE STARTING HIS DESCENT TO AAA. DURING DESCENT THE PILOT EXPERIENCED NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AND APPLIED CARBURATOR HEAT, WHILE SIMUTANIOUSLY REPORTING HIS SITUATION TO PIA APPROACH. AT SOME POINT THE PILOT REGAINED ENGINE POWER BRIEFLY. PEORIA APPROACHED ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT WAS "NO NOT AT THIS TIME." CONTINUING ON FLIGHT PATH TO LOGAN COUNTY AIRPORT (AAA) AT 2000FT ENGINE POWER WAS LOST ENTIRELY. THE PILOT REPORTED TO PIA APPROACH THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE LOGAN COUNTY AIRPORT AND INSTEAD HE WAS GOING TO LAND ON THE INTERSTATE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A VEHICLE DRIVING ON THE ROAD WITH THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND GEAR ASSEMBLY. CONSEQUENTLY, THE LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF THE AIRFRAME BY IMPACT AND PILOT LANDED WITH ONE WHEEL ON THE PAVEMENT. FORTUNATELY, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE VEHICLES OCCUPANTS OR AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS. THE PLANE CAME TO REST ON THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF INTERSTATE IL-55. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTUALLY DAMAGED WITH MISSING FIXED GEAR ASSEMBLY, BENT WING STRUT AND LEFT REAR HORIZONTAL STABILIZER/ELEVATOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED BY TOW TRUCK TO OWNERS HANGER AT LOGAN COUNTY AIRPORT (AAA) AND INSPECTED BY BOTH FAA AIRWORTHINESS AND OPERATIONS INSPECTORS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.