- Date
- December 2, 2003, 19:50 local (Dec 3, 2003, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Birmingham, AL
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3056QCessna 182-K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO
- FAA report
- 20031202029159A
- Case key
- 58424
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the throttle/power lever cable becoming disconnected in-flight, as a result of maintenance personnel failure to comply with Airworthiness Directive (AD) 86-24-07 and Cessna information letter SE79-6.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flight was uneventful until the approach to land at the destination airport. When the pilot reduced engine power for the approach, the engine lost power and the throttle would not respond. The pilot informed the control tower that he had a loss of power and proceeded to set up for an emergency landing. The airplane clipped a tree top and went through a power line before touching down on the ground. The airplane landed hard, the nose gear collapsed, and the left wing collided with a light pole. Examination of the airplane found the left and right wings had spar and wing skin damage. Examination of the engine found the throttle cable separated from the throttle body arm. The throttle cable attaching bolt was still attached to the throttle body arm, the nut was missing and the bolt was not drilled for a cotter key. Further review disclosed that Airworthiness Directive 86-24-07 and Cessna Information Letter SE79-6 had not been complied with when the engine assembly was recently installed during the annual inspection.
Factual narrative
On December 2, 2003, at 1950 central standard time, a Cessna 182-K, N3056Q, registered to Cowarts Construction Company, and operated by the private pilot, collided with a power line and subsequently the ground while on approach to Birmingham International Airport, Birmingham, Alabama. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, and instrument flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Salem Airport, Salem, Arkansas, on December 2, 2003, at 1700.
The pilot stated that the flight was uneventful until the approach to land in Birmingham. The pilot pulled the manifold pressure to 12.5 inches to descend and added power to align with the glide slope, but the engine did not respond. He then added full power, but still nothing happened. The pilot informed the control tower that he had a loss of power and proceeded to set up for an emergency landing. He stated the airplane clipped a tree top and went through a power line before touching down on the ground. The pilot stated the airplane "landed hard," the nose gear collapsed, and the left wing collided with a light pole.
Examination of the airplane found the left and right wings had spar and wing skin damage, the right stabilizer and the bottom of the airframe sustained crush damage. The nose gear was folded aft. Examination of the engine found the throttle cable separated from the throttle body arm. The throttle cable attaching bolt was still attached to the throttle body arm, the nut was missing and the bolt was not drilled for a cotter key. Additionally, the examination of the throttle cable assembly revealed that Airworthiness Directive 86-24-07 and Cessna Information Letter SE79-6 had not been complied with when the engine assembly was recently installed during the annual inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3056Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 182-K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18258056
- Airframe hours
- 4,264.8
- Engine
- Continental IO470-F31B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Cowart, doing business as Cowarts Construction Company
- Registered owner
- Cowarts Construction Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2003 · 31.2 hours before
- Departed
- 7M9 · Salem, AK
- Destination
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BHM · Birmingham International, runway 36, 7,100 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,008 total · 1,297 in this make and model · 1,891 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.