- Date
- December 4, 1991, 11:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Westerly, RI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N92181Cessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911204059099A
- Case key
- 37115
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to remove all the water from the fuel system prior to takeoff which resulted in a power loss.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plane lost power after takeoff and made a forced landing in the only available field. The airplane flipped over during landing. The pilot said he drained the sumps prior to takeoff and removed a small amount of water. Post accident investigation disclosed water in the fuel tank, fuel lines , carburetor and acceleration pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92181
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18260076
- Airframe hours
- 2,127
- Engine
- Continental O-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Taylor
- Registered owner
- James R. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 24, 1991 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- WST
- Destination
- BID · Block Island, RI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.