CHI95LA100

The airplane was descending for a landing when the engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot stated that he had no memory of the accident. Although personnel who moved the airplane claimed that 15 or 16 gallons of fuel were removed from the accident airplane at the accident scene, only about six gallons could be located. The engine was test run successfully with no anomalies noted. The airplane flight manual indicates that as much as 10 gallons of unusable fuel might be expected in other than level flight.

On March 11, 1995, at 1715 central standard time, a Cessna 182A, N5015D, registered to Skydive Assets, Inc., of Loveland, Colorado, and piloted by an instrument rated commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, approximately one mile northwest of runway 13 at Bowling Green, Missouri, following a total loss of engine power. The pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. The local personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The time of departure is unknown.

In the pilot's statement, he said that he had no memory of the accident.

The airplane had been disassembled and moved from the accident site and was inspected in a hangar. Found in the carburetor were "three teaspoons" of blue fuel. In the hangar, with the airplane was a full five gallon can and a two and one-half gallon can with about one gallon of blue fuel. Personnel who disassembled and moved the airplane stated that they had recovered 15 or 16 gallons of fuel from the airplane at the accident site. Since only about six gallons if fuel remained the question arose as to the location of the additional fuel. The same personnel stated that a five gallon can overturned while being transported from the accident site to the hangar, but they could not account for the whereabouts of the can at the time of the examination.

The flight manual for the accident airplane indicates that the airplane has a total usable fuel for all flight conditions of 55 gallons with a total fuel volume of 65 gallons. Unusable fuel in level flight is shown as 3 gallons; however, in other than level flight there is an additional 7 gallons of unusable fuel.

The engine was removed for examination and a test run was conducted on April 19, 1995. Rated power was achieved during the test run with no mechanical deficiencies noted.

Parties to the investigation were the Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office, St Ann, Missouri; Continental Motors, Mobile, Alabama; and Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas