- Date
- August 27, 2005, 08:02 local (14:02 UTC)
- Place
- Afton, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N91245Cessna 180J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Casper, Wyoming
- FAA report
- 20050827018359A
- Case key
- 62352
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
loss of engine power for reasons undetermined.
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
According to the pilot, he reduced power, applied carburetor heat, and descended towards the airport. He applied power approximately 200 feel agl to stabilize the approach, but the engine did not respond. He stated that the propeller was windmilling, but the engine was not producing any power. He made a forced landing in a field. The airplane struck a fence post, and a parked car, and ground looped before coming to rest 200 yards short of the airport.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 2005, at 0802 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180J, N91245, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing south of the Afton Municipal Airport (AFO), Afton, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained no injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Morgan, Utah, at 0700, and was en route to Afton, Wyoming.
According to the pilot, he approached AFO in the traffic pattern. On final approach, he reduced power, applied carburetor heat, and descended towards the airport. He applied throttle approximately 200 feel agl to stabilize the approach, but the engine did not respond. He stated that the propeller was windmilling, but the engine was not producing any power. He made a forced landing in a field. The airplane struck a fence post, and a parked car, and ground looped before coming to rest 200 yards short of the airport. The left wing was crushed up and aft, the left stabilizer was destroyed, and the right wing spar was bent aft. An examination of the airplane's engine, engine controls, and other systems revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91245
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052464
- Airframe hours
- 1,854.6
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Doug Compton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2005 · 8.3 hours before
- Departed
- 42U · Morgan, UT
- Destination
- AFO · Afton, WY
- Airport
- AFO · Afton Municipal Airport
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial, Private, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,000 total · 800 in this make and model · 19,000 as pilot in command · 330 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 12 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- AFO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.