- Date
- September 2, 1994, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ardmore, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3413RCessna 182L
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940902035029A
- Case key
- 19154
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
The partial loss of power due to a cylinder head separation. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the low ceiling.
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 airplane was vfr-on-top for approximately 10 minutes when the engine started to produce a 'severe vibration' and partial power was lost. The pilot declared an emergency and was provided weather conditions and a heading to the industrial air park (adm), Ardmore, Texas, by flight service. The pilot then contacted fort worth center and made an IFR descent through the clouds. Once the airplane was clear of the clouds at about 400 feet AGL, it was unable to maintain altitude. During the continued descent the airplane struck electrical wires and made a 'crash landing' into a small mowed pasture. 'The airplane rolled approximately 300 feet before entering a vast depression, passed through a persimmon thicket, coming to rest inverted.' An examination of the airplane revealed the left wing spar and left horizontal stabilizer were damaged, and a cylinder head had separated from the barrel.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 1994, at 1800 central daylight time, a Cessna 182L, N3413R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Ardmore, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight.
The pilot/operator report revealed the following information. The airplane was VFR-on-top for approximately 10 minutes when the engine started to produce a "severe vibration" and partial power was lost. The pilot declared an emergency and was provided weather conditions and a heading to the Industrial Air Park (ADM), Ardmore, Texas, by Flight Service. The pilot then contacted Fort Worth Center and made an IFR descent through the clouds. Once the airplane was clear of the clouds, it was unable to maintain altitude. During the continued descent the airplane struck electrical wires and made a "crash landing" into a small mowed pasture. "The airplane rolled approximately 300 feet before entering a vast depression, passed through a persimmon thicket, coming to rest inverted."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site reported he found the left wing spar and left horizontal stabilizer damaged. According to the pilot/operator report, a cylinder head had separated from the barrel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3413R
- Reported as
- Cessna 182L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18258713
- Airframe hours
- 2,953
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Soloman W. Ward
- Registered owner
- Swr, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1994 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- GVT · Greenville, TX
- Destination
- OUN · Norman, OK
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,036 total · 1,296 in this make and model · 1,741 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.