MIA02LA053

According to the pilot, he did not visually check his fuel quantity level during his preflight walk around inspection, and about 15 minutes into his flight he sustained a loss of engine power. He conducted a forced landing on the Florida Turnpike, and during landing rollout, the left wing collided with a road sign, causing structural damage. The wing fuel tanks were not compromised during the collision, and there was no spillage. The FAA reported that 2.5 gallons was the total fuel load aboard at the time of the accident. The 2.5 gallon quantity was substantiated by the salvage crew when the wings were removed. The Cessna 182L type certificate data sheets state that 30 pounds or 5.11 gallons is the fuel system's unusable amount. The engine started normally and operated smoothly to 2,000 rpm, with NTSB oversight, 13 days later.

On January 25, 2002, about 1315 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182L, N182JM, registered to Aerolease of America, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a forced landing in the vicinity of Boca Raton, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage, and the commercially-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft departed Pompano Beach Airpark about 15 minutes before the accident.

According to the pilot, on his return trip to his home base of Wellington Aero Club Airport near West Palm Beach, his engine surged and lost power. He chose an uninhabited north-bound lane of the Florida Turnpike for a forced landing. The left wing impacted a road sign during the landing rollout, causing substantial damage. The pilot stated he did not observe wing tank fuel level before departure. He stated that about 50 gallons must have been siphoned from his tanks while parked at his home base.

According to an FAA inspector, the sign collision damaged the wing leading edge about 2 to 3 feet inboard of the wing tip. The collision caused deformation of the left wing spar, a wing rib, and the false front spar. Neither wing fuel tank was breached and about 1.5 to 2.5 gallons of 100 octane LL was the total fuel found in the aircraft. The fuel was removed from the aircraft at the time the salvager removed the wings for transport to a locked and secured salvage and storage facility at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

On February 7, 2002, at the storage facility where N182JM was transported to and stored, the NTSB observed the aircraft engine start from its own battery source. Also observed was the fuel removed from N182JM, postcrash, and the amount measured out to be 2.5 gallons. The engine was operated at about 2,000 rpm for about 10 minutes. Engine operation was smooth and responsive to cockpit controls. According to the Cessna 182L type certificate data sheets, the unusable fuel is 30 pounds or about 5.1 gallons.