# NTSB MIA02FA059: Cessna TR182, N5136S, Cedar Key, FL, February 11, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: February 10, 2002, 20:00 local (Feb 11, 2002, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Cedar Key, FL - Coordinates: 29.1375, -83.04972 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1375&lon=-83.0497&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 4 fatal - Status: Completed, report June 30, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Cessna, Lycoming, FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 54169 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02FA059 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54169/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54169 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02FA059 ## Probable cause the failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation resulting in the airplane descending and colliding with water. A factor in the accident was a dark night . ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - spatial disorientation, pilot in command (cause) - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - water ## Analysis A witness observed the airplane's lights, and heard the engine at full power after the airplane departed the runway. He saw the airplane turned left, at an angle of about 45 degrees, and then descend into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico about 1/4 mile from the airport. Witnesses described the weather as a dark night, with no stars visible, patches of fog, and light haze existed over the water. Recovery personnel reported seeing fog at the crash site about 1 hour after the accident. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any discrepancies with either the airframe, engine, engine components, or propeller. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 10, 2002, about 2000 eastern standard time, a Cessna TR182, N5136S, owned by Flying Professionals Inc., and operated by an individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed into the water's of the Gulf of Mexico, shortly after takeoff from the Cedar Key Airport, Cedar Key, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. The flight was originating at the time, and was en route to Gainesville, Florida. The airplane had departed Gainesville at 1630, that same day, with four persons on board for the flight to Cedar Key, in order for the occupants to have dinner at a restaurant. The occupants ate dinner at the restaurant and, according to employees at the restaurant; the pilot did not consume alcohol. The occupants returned to the airport by taxi around 1945. A witness, who was an airport resident and a pilot, stated that he observed the airplane's navigation lights, and heard the engine "...with full power sound," after the airplane departed the runway. He stated "...at an altitude of approximately 150 feet, the airplane made an abrupt left descending turn of about 45 degrees." The witness also pointed out a memorial located at the end of runway 23, which had been placed there after a 1980 aircraft accident, that warned pilots that a horizon "will not be present" during a night takeoff to the west. An NTSB Air Traffic Control/Operational Factors investigator requested radar data. He reported that he had obtained long-range radar data for February 10-11, 2002, to attempt to identify N5136S after departure from Cedar Key. The Cross City, Florida, radar was the closest site to the accident, and had recorded no targets other than occasional spurious primary reflections during the time period surrounding the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, held an FAA commercial pilot certificate, with airplane single engine land, and airplane instrument, initially issued on August 23, 1999. FAA records showed that the pilot updated his pilot's certificate on October 18, 1999. The pilot held an FAA class 2 medical certificate issued on November 11, 2000, with the limitations "must wear corrective lenses, and possess glasses for near and interim vision." The pilot received a biennial flight review, as required by 14 CFR Part 61, on January 26, 2001. The pilot's personal flight logbooks were not found. As per entries on the pilot's insurance application, dated November 15, 2001, he had accumulated a total of 1,059.1 total flight hours, all single engine flight hours, and 306.5 hours in this make and model aircraft. There were no records found to indicate the number of instrument or night flight hours that the pilot had accumulated at the time of the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a Cessna; model TR 182, serial number R18201508, manufactured in 1980. The owner at the time of the accident, the Flying Professionals, Inc., had purchased the airplane on August 6, 1996. At the time of the accident the airplane had accumulated 2,407.1 total flight hours. An annual inspection was performed on the airplane and engine on June 14, 2001, 149 hours before the accident. The airplane was equipped with one Lycoming O-540-L3C5D engine, serial number L-22308-40A, rated at 235 horsepower. According to the engine logbook, the engine was put in service October 17, 1980. According to the maintenance records the last static pressure/instrument check as required by FAR 43, was completed on June 14, 2001. Examination of the aircraft/engine maintenance records revealed that the current time in service of the engine was 2,407.1 hours. According to the Textron Lycoming Service Instruction 1009AQ, dated January 12, 2001, the recommended time before overhaul (TBO) for O-540-L3C5D engines is 2,000 hours. The airplane's propeller was manufactured by McCauley, model B2D34C219/90DHB, and the serial number was 7910457. Aviation Propellers, Inc., of Orlando, Florida, overhauled the propeller and it was installed during the annual inspection, on June 14. 2001. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The nearest weather station to the accident site was located at the Cedar Key Airport, field elevation 7 feet msl, located about 030 degrees at 1/4 nautical mile from the accident location. The reported weather at 1953 was; winds 230 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky condition; clear; temperature 16 degrees Celsius; dew point 12 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 30.16 inches hg. According to the taxi driver who drove the airplane's occupants to and from the restaurant, when they returned to the airport it was a dark night, with no stars visible, and patches of fog existed over the water. In addition, a pilot at the airport, who saw the airplane before it crashed stated it was a "dark" night, with "light haze" over the water. Recovery personnel reported seeing fog at the crash site about 1 hour after the accident. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The aircraft crashed about 1/4 mile southwest of the departure runway into the water's of the Gulf of Mexico. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness, and the wreckage was located at N29 degrees, 07.476 minutes, W083 degrees, 03.621 minutes. The Levy County Sheriff's Department initially recovered the engine, instrument panel, aft cabin and tailcone. The wings were later recovered and taken by the salvage company to Atlanta, Georgia. The front seats and surrounding structure were not recovered. The rear bench seat was located. Examination of the airframe parts that were recovered revealed that the Sheriff's Department had to pull the recovered sections of the airplane across the ocean floor about 2 miles to a boat ramp. The sections included the engine, with the nose landing gear and instrument panel attached, the tailcone and empennage, and the rear bench seat, including the lower fuselage structure and gear actuators. After removal of the airplane from the water it was transported to the Cedar Key Airport. An examination of the fuselage revealed no evidence of fire. The engine cowlings, the cabin overhead and the fuselage belly, from the firewall to the aft doorposts, were not recovered. The wings were later examined at the salvage dealer's property in Atlanta. The examination revealed that the left and right aileron cables were found attached to the bellcrank. The ailerons had remained attached to the wings. The flaps had also remained attached to the wings, and the flap actuator was found retracted. Flight controls and aerodynamic surface control cable continuity was not established due to fuselage and cable separations. The rudder cables were confirmed attached at their ends. The elevator cables and push/pull tubes were attached at the elevator bellcrank. The cables were also attached forward at the control tube and arm assemblies. The empennage remained attached to the tailcone. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator displayed impact damage. The elevator was pushed downward beyond its normal limits during the tow through the water. The examination of the engine revealed that it was intact and no external discrepancies were observed. The propeller was found attached to the engine crankshaft flange, and the engine was attached to the firewall. Fuel system lines and hoses displayed impact damage. The engine mounts and control cables displayed impact damage and deformation. Partial disassembly of the engine revealed that residual fuel was found within the engine driven fuel pump and carburetor. A lighted borescope was used to examine the engine top and components. The borescope examination revealed no discrepancies. The engine's crankshaft was rotated, and internal gear and valve train continuity was established. Compression was noted on all six cyli ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5136S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5136S-2004-02-21), registration cancelled 2004-02-21, S/N R18201508 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna TR182 - Registry model: [Cessna TR182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-tr182) (registry code 2072735) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: R18201508 - Airframe hours: 2398.7 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-L3C5D 235 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Russell W. Blaser - Registered owner: Flying Professionals - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 14, 2001, 149 hours before - Departed: CDK, Cedar Key, FL - Destination: GNV, Gainesville, FL - Airport: KCDK, George Lewis, runway 23, 2,355 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review January 26, 2001; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,059 total, 307 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 230° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: CTY ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020210005229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020210005229A), Feb 10, 2002: Cessna TR182, Cedar Key, FL, No damage, 4 fatal. (-23) Pilot departed runway 23 from George T. Lewis Airport (cdk) Cedar Key, FL with three passengers. The airport was reported to be VFR, but very dark with… ## Docket (26 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54169. 6.8 MB in all. - Supplement S (item 1, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40210323&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 2, .PDF, 90 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388490&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 3, .PDF, 304 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388491&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams (item 4, .PDF, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211106&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps%20or%20Charts%20of%20Accident%20Area,%20Wreckage%20Diagrams-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 5, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211107&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 6, .PDF, 310 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388769&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 7, .PDF, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388770&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.PDF - Maintenance Record (partial) (item 8, .PDF, 307 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388771&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Record%20(partial)-Redacted.PDF - Pilot History (Insurance) & Restaurant Receipt (item 9, .PDF, 186 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388772&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20History%20(Insurance)%20%26%20Restaurant%20Receipt-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1. View from the crash site (orange marker) looking back towards the airport. (item 10, .PDF, 69 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211122&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201.%20%20View%20from%20the%20crash%20site%20(orange%20marker)%20looking%20back%20towards%20the%20airport.-Master.PDF - Photo 2. Left side view of the tail section. (item 11, .PDF, 91 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211123&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202.%20%20Left%20side%20view%20of%20the%20tail%20section.-Master.PDF - Photo 3. Right side view. (item 12, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211124&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203.%20%20Right%20side%20view.-Master.PDF - Photo 4. Rear view. (item 13, .PDF, 81 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211126&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204.%20%20Rear%20view.-Master.PDF - Photo 5. Rear seats. (item 14, .PDF, 75 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211127&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205.%20%20Rear%20seats.-Master.PDF - Photo 6. Engine and propeller, top view. (item 15, .PDF, 95 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211131&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206.%20%20Engine%20and%20propeller,%20top%20view.-Master.PDF - Photo 7. Engine and propeller front view. (item 16, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211132&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207.%20%20Engine%20and%20propeller%20front%20view.-Master.PDF - Photo 8. Engine and propeller left side view. (item 17, .PDF, 104 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211135&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%208.%20%20Engine%20and%20propeller%20left%20side%20view.-Master.PDF - Photo 9. Engine accessories. (item 18, .PDF, 95 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211138&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%209.%20%20Engine%20accessories.-Master.PDF - Photo 10. Magneto. (item 19, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211139&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2010.%20%20Magneto.-Master.PDF - Photo 11. Turbo. (item 20, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211140&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2011.%20%20Turbo.-Master.PDF - Photo 12. Spark Plugs. (item 21, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211141&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2012.%20%20Spark%20Plugs.-Master.PDF - Photo 13. Vacuum pumps. (item 22, .PDF, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211197&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2013.%20%20Vacuum%20pumps.-Master.PDF - Photo 14. Cockpit. (item 23, .PDF, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211198&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2014.%20%20Cockpit.-Master.PDF - Photo 15. Instruments. (item 24, .PDF, 93 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211199&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2015.%20%20Instruments.-Master.PDF - Photo 16. Instruments. (item 25, .PDF, 91 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40211200&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2016.%20%20Instruments.-Master.PDF - Toxicological Reports (item 26, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40388773&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Reports-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.