# NTSB MIA02LA053: Cessna 182L, N182JM, Boca Raton, FL, January 25, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 25, 2002, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC) - Place: Boca Raton, FL - Location: 26.3708° N, 80.1026° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Boca Raton, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.3708&lon=-80.1026&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54081 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA053 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54081/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54081 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA053 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to perform a proper preflight inspection and refueling of the aircraft, resulting in an in-flight loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a collision with a road sign during the emergency landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - aircraft preflight - improper, pilot in command (cause) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - object - sign - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - sign ## Analysis 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. ## Factual narrative 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. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N182JM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N182JM-2013-06-10), registration cancelled 2013-06-10, S/N 18259187 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182L - Registry model: [Cessna 182L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182l) (registry code 2072726) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18259187 - Airframe hours: 3592 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Aerolease of America, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 28, 2001, 24 hours before - Departed: PMP, Pompano, FL - Destination: FD38, Wellington, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review April 16, 1999; seat: left; flight hours: 3,500 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC) - Wind: 140° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: PMP ## 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 20020125001619A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020125001619A), Jan 25, 2002: Cessna 182L, Bocaraton, FL, Substantial damage. (.19) 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… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 29, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54081. 610 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 499 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381322&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies (item 2, .PDF, 111 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40381323&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies-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.