NYC93LA111

The airplane was at 8000 feet, four parachutist had jumped, and the pilot then descended the airplane to the pattern altitude of 1,400 feet. During this descent, carburetor heat was not applied. The pilot then initiated the approach and landing to runway 19. During the approach the pilot applied carburetor heat twice for short periods of time. On final approach the pilot needed additional power to reach the runway. As the pilot applied power the engine shuddered. She then tried to add additional power and the engine lost complete power. The pilot attempted to continue to glide to the runway, and the airplane impacted an embankment short of and about 10 feet below the runway. An engine run conducted by the FAA revealed no discrepancies.

On Sunday, June 13, 1993, at about 1720 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182, N6158B, piloted by Ruth Roy, collided with the terrain while on approach to Woodstock Airport, Woodstock, Connecticut. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91.

According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2:

"...I climbed to 8,000' and all 4 jumpers jumped...plane was running good so far...I descended to pattern altitude 1,400', w/no [sic] problems. I leveled off on downwind...I started to slow plane down, I applied carb. [sic] heat for a second everything was fine. On base I checked carb heat again...still running O.K...landing to the south...over the trees at the north end I applied a little more throttle due to a slight down draft and engine started sputtering. I pushed throttle in more, and the engine died...[pilot thought she could glide to the runway] but the plane started sinking fast and landed up against the embankment of the runway at the north end."

FAA Inspector Anthony Janco said:

"...at approximately 120 feet [AGL]...[the pilot] realizes she will need additional power to reach the runway...she proceeds to glide in an attempt to reach runway 19 but falls short and crashes 119 feet short and approximately 10 feet low of runway 19. The aircraft came to rest in a normal upright landing configuration...the fuel selector was in the off position...placed there by rescue persons...ignition key had been removed...battery [was] disconnected...all three condition levers were full forward...only discrepancies noted were [sic] a 3 inch piece of exhaust baffle...lodged in the exhaust stack of the muffler...fuel selector valve was moved to both tank position and fuel flowed...this system appeared to operate normally. No other discrepancies were noted..."

On June 17, 1993, the FAA test ran the engine from N6158B and according to Inspector Janco's report:

"...the original carburetor was reassembled and used in this test...the engine was run without difficulty. The broken piece of exhaust baffling was installed as it was...and the engine was run through a wide range of power settings. The effect was unnoticed. All other engine systems appeared to operate properly. The cause of engine shutdown could not be duplicated during this run..."