- Date
- March 7, 1993, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Putnam, CT
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3035FCessna 182J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930307004479A
- Case key
- 11912
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
Inadequate compliance with applicable air worthiness directives, leaky fuel cap seal, water contamination of the fuel, and wrinkles in the fuel tank bladders that interfered with the ability to drain water from the tanks.
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
Shortly after takeoff at an altitude of about 50 ft, the engine lost power. During an emergency landing, the airplane clipped some trees, touched down in a field, and slid until it impacted a row of trees. An on scene investigation revealed about one quart of water in the fuel system. Examination of the fuel tank filler necks revealed corrosion. The right tank fuel filler neck also had pitting. When tested, the right fuel cap and seal area allowed leakage of an undeterminable amount of water. Examination of the fuel tank bladders revealed wrinkles. The airplane's maintenance records indicated that AD 84-10-01 and AD 83-13-01, regarding inspection of the fuel filler neck and seal area and the fuel tanks, were not performed during the last inspection. The airplane was kept outside and it had not been flown for several days before the accident. Snow had fallen on the previous day. The pilot said he did a thorough preflight, which included draining the fuel tanks and checking for contamination, but no contamination was evident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3035F
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257135
- Airframe hours
- 2,637
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Para Power Inc.
- Registered owner
- Para Power Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 19, 1992 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 01B
- Destination
- 01B
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,727 total · 1,761 in this make and model · 4,655 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BDL, 34 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.