IAD97FA024

History of flight

On November 29, 1996, about 1320 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182P, N52773, was destroyed during a forced landing and collision with a house after takeoff from the Potomac Airport, Fort Washington, Maryland. The certificated commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The airplane was configured with the rubber bladder long range fuel tanks with a total fuel capacity of 84 gallons. The airplane was last refueled on November 2, 1996, and had flown for about 3 hours since the last refueling. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection and estimated 26 gallons/27 gallons of fuel in the right and left wing tanks, respectively. While sampling fuel, the pilot drained a half teaspoon of water from each wing tank. After rocking the wings several times and holding the airplane's empennage to the ground, the pilot drained another teaspoon of water from the left wing, and drained a full fuel drain tube with water from the right wing. The pilot repeated the procedure until the samples from both wings were free of water.

The pilot started the engine with the fuel selector in the left tank position, and monitored the airplane's Graphic Engine Monitor (GEM). The fuel selector switch was moved to the right tank while taxiing, and switched to the both tanks position for the engine run up and takeoff. The pilot stated that the oil and cylinder head temperatures were in the green range, and the manifold pressure and RPM were normal as he released the brakes for takeoff. The pilot reported that when he rotated the airplane, the engine surged and lost power.

The pilot recalled that the GEM indicated all cylinders were cooler than normal, and the RPM gauge was indicating at the low end of the green arc and dropping. The carburetor heat, propeller, throttle, and mixture controls were full forward. The pilot extended full flaps, descended straight ahead, and impacted the roof of a house in a residential area, coming to rest inverted on top of a metal fence.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at about 38 degrees, 45 minutes north latitude, and 76 degrees, 58 minutes west longitude.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating for airplane single and multi-engine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter. He also held an instructor rating for airplane single engine. The pilot had a total 4,446 flight hours with 335 hours in make and model. His third class medical was dated December 7, 1995, with the limitation that the holder shall possess glasses for near vision. The pilot stated that he owned the airplane since 1990, and flew the airplane every week, weather permitting.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane wreckage was initially examined at the accident site on November 29, 1996. The examination accounted for all major components of the airplane and fuel was found in both wing tanks. The right wing, detached at the wing root, was pinned between the house and the wreckage. The engine, separated from the fire wall, was lying on the ground facing the fuselage, partially pinned under the left wing. Both propeller blades displayed chord wise scratches and bending. To facilitate the removal of the wreckage, the empennage was detached from the fuselage, and the remaining attached wires and tubing to the right wing and engine were cut. The wreckage was then moved to a hangar on Potomac Airpark for further examination.

Detailed examination of the wreckage and the airplane's logbooks was done on December 4, 1996. No pertinent maintenance condition or material failure was found. Continuity in the engine was confirmed, all cylinders were able to produce compression, and both magnetos produced sparks. The carburetor was detached from the engine, and fuel was found in it. There was fuel remaining in the both fuel tanks, but no contaminates were found. While inspecting the rubber bladders of the fuel tanks through the gas cap openings, slight rises/humps were seen in the rubber material with no associated creases on the bottom of the rubber bladders. No contaminates were detected during the inspection of the gascolator. The gasket at the top of the thumb screen within the gascolator partially covered the inlet hole.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The airplane was kept outdoors and a topographic survey of the tie down area was completed on December 21, 1996. The survey was to determine if a significant slope existed, which would have hindered the water the pilot drained from the tanks, and allowed some water to migrate to other areas of the wing tank. The survey showed no significant slope in the tie down area.