NYC02LA122

After the parachutists jumped, the airplane was descending through 9,000 feet msl, and the engine lost partial power. The pilot verified that carburetor heat was on, the cowl flaps were closed, the fuel selector was positioned to "Both," and the mixture was rich. She continued descending and entered a left traffic pattern for the runway. The pilot initially judged her pattern distance based on the available engine power. However, while turning from base to final leg, the engine lost all power. The pilot did not think that she would be able to glide to the runway, and planned a forced landing to the parachute drop zone. She was subsequently too high for that field, and performed a forced landing in a cornfield. After the accident, an FAA inspector performed a successful engine run, utilizing both fuel tanks. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tanks had not been compromised. The left tank contained approximately 2 gallons of fuel and the right tank contained approximately 6.75 gallons. Review of fueling records revealed that the airplane was fueled to capacity 3.9 hours prior to the accident, according to the tachometer. During that period, the pilot had added 4.5 gallons to the right fuel tank. Review of the airplane owner's manual revealed that the engine consumed approximately 14 gallons of fuel per hour, and 10 gallons of fuel were unusable during normal flight operations.

On June 24, 2002, about 1615 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182B, N2516G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Ellington, Connecticut. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the commercial parachute drop conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight departed Ellington Airport (7B9), Ellington, Connecticut, about 1545.

The pilot reported that after the parachutists jumped, while she was descending through 9,000 feet msl, the engine lost partial power. The pilot verified that carburetor heat was on, the cowl flaps were closed, the fuel selector was positioned to "Both," and the mixture was rich. She continued descending and entered a left traffic pattern for runway 01 at 7B9. The pilot initially judged her pattern distance based on the available engine power. While turning from base to final leg, the engine lost all power. The pilot did not think that she would be able to glide to runway 01, and planned a forced landing to the parachute drop zone. However, she was too high for that field, and subsequently performed a forced landing in a cornfield.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The inspector performed a successful engine run, utilizing both fuel tanks. Additionally, the inspector noted that there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site, and she drained approximately 2 gallons of fuel from the right wing fuel tank and 6.75 gallons from the left wing fuel tank.

The FAA inspector added that the airplane was fueled to capacity at a tachometer time of 866.5 hours. At 868.7 hours, the pilot added 4.5 gallons to the right tank. The tachometer time at the accident site was 870.4 hours.

Review of a 1959 Cessna Skylane Owner's Manual revealed that the airplane held a total of 65 gallons of fuel. Three gallons were unusable during level flight; however, 10 gallons were unusable during normal flight maneuvers. Further review of the manual revealed fuel consumption data for altitudes of 2,500 feet msl, 5,000 feet msl, and 7,500 feet msl. The average fuel consumption, at 2,450 rpm and 23 inches of manifold pressure, was approximately 14 gallons per hour.

According to a representative from Cessna, the older model 182, such as the accident airplane, contained only one outlet port in each fuel tank. The port was located near the wing root, approximately mid-span along the wing cord.