SEA96LA067

The pilot stated that he heard a 'significant bang' and a 'clunky metallic sound' while cruising VFR above mountains and a broken cloud deck at 9,500 feet above mean sea level. He reported to ATC that the engine then 'quit.' He stated that he initiated an emergency descent through clouds, broke out of the clouds about 400 feet above the ground, and ditched the airplane in a shallow river because of unsuitable mountainous terrain surrounding the river. The airplane flipped over during the ditching and was substantially damaged. A detailed examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or deficiencies. No evidence was found to support fuel exhaustion or carburetor icing. About 2-1/2 months after the accident, the pilot was involved in another presumed ditching in which he reported to ATC that the engine had quit while cruising VFR on a personal flight. The airplane was not found. The pilot disappeared after the presumed ditching, and later turned himself in to local authorities. He has since plead guilty to charges of False Distress Signals and Mail Fraud.

History of flight

On March 12, 1996, at 1335 Pacific standard time, N41MG, a Cessna 182, operated by the CAVU Flying Club, Inc., Lynnwood, Washington, was ditched in a river near Darrington, Washington, and was substantially damaged. The ditching was precipitated by a reported loss of engine power during cruise flight. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant and owner of the operation, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Everett, Washington, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.

According to the pilot, in a telephone interview conducted three hours after the accident, the engine began to vibrate after a "significant bang" while the airplane was cruising at 9,500 feet above mean sea level (msl). The engine then began to "surge" and then seize about 30 seconds later. The pilot was flying over mountainous terrain and elected to ditch in the Sauk river. During the ditching, the airplane nosed over.

In a more detailed written statement sent to the Safety Board by the pilot (attached), the pilot reported that "it had been a while since I had flown without any passengers and I was looking forward to just getting out into the sunshine and enjoying the day." The pilot stated that he received a weather briefing via computer, departed from Paine Field in Everett, climbed to 9,500 feet msl, and flew east over the Cascade mountain range. He stated that the mountains were shrouded by clouds and the outside air temperature was 20 degrees F.

The pilot further stated: "At about 1330 I heard and felt a loud bang followed by a clunky metallic sound coming from the engine compartment. Almost immediately the entire airframe began to shake so strongly that I had trouble holding onto the yoke." The pilot also stated that the engine then "quit," and he initiated an emergency descent through the clouds towards the closest airport that appeared on his global positioning satellite receiver. He contacted the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and reported his problem. He did not report taking any remedial action to restart the engine. He stated that he secured the engine and "turned off the fuel, pulled the mixture, throttle and prop controls full out, turned off the mags and master..."

The pilot further stated: "I broke out at what I would guess was about 400 [feet above ground level]. About 100 meters on either side of me there was steep hills going up into the clouds. Below me I could see nothing but trees at first. Just my luck to have broken out in the only area of the Cascades that did not allow clear cutting! The valley I was in ran into another valley which had a river in it. As I didn't see anything else even remotely hospitable to a crash landing I turned to the parallel the river. I could see a sand bar in the river and I decided to go for that. I pushed the nose over to get to it and by the time I was approaching it became apparent that I was carrying too much airspeed."

The pilot stated that he allowed the airspeed to diminish before ditching the airplane. During the ditching, he inadvertently "clipped the right wing tip" against a tree in the river. The main landing gear of the airplane then struck the water and the airplane "flipped over onto its back."

The pilot safely egressed the airplane and then sat on the shore of the river. He stated that he then "lit [a] cigar and had myself a moment." He was picked up by a logging helicopter about three hours later.

Aircraft information

The airplane, a 1973 Cessna model 182P, was owned and operated by the pilot's business since August 18, 1994. An examination of the airplane and engine maintenance log books did not reveal any unresolved discrepancies.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 34, holds an FAA commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He is also a certified flight instructor with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot reported that he has accumulated about 6,000 flight hours.

The pilot was issued an FAA First Class Medical Certificate on June 9, 1995. On August 1, 1996, about five months after the accident, the FAA issued an Emergency Order of Suspension to suspend the pilot's First Class Medical Certificate. The Order cited a request by the FAA for "results of a current psychological and psychiatric evaluation to determine your eligibility to hold a medical certificate." The reason for the suspension was cited as the pilot's failure to "either submit the requested information or to acknowledge receipt of the request."

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane was found upside down in about three feet of water in the Sauk River. An examination of the airplane by salvage personnel at the accident site revealed that the firewall and left wing received substantial damage. About 60 gallons of fuel were drained from the fuel tanks. An external examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of preimpact catastrophic mechanical malfunctions.

Tests and research

A detailed disassembly and inspection of the engine was performed by an FAA aviation safety inspector from Spokane, Washington, under the direction of the Safety Board. The inspection occurred on March 26, 1996, at facilities operated by Aircraft Salvage and Rebuild, Inc., in Omak, Washington. According to the inspector's report (attached), the engine rotated freely when the propeller was rotated. Valve train and crankshaft continuity were verified for all six cylinders. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions, deficiencies, carburetor icing, or fuel starvation were found during the engine inspection

Additional informaton

On May 31, 1996, about 2 1/2 months after the accident, the same pilot was involved in another presumed ditching. The ditching occurred in N47852, a Piper PA-28-161, again operated by the CAVU Flying Club. Approximately 0028 Pacific daylight time, radio and radar contact was lost. The pilot, whom information indicates was the sole occupant, had reported over Winslow (a reporting point northwest of Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington) and requested a stop-and-go landing at Boeing Field. Approximately one minute after the request, the pilot reported that he had lost his engine over Elliott Bay. The last radar return from the aircraft was over Puget Sound approximately 1/2 nautical mile north-northeast of Alki Point.

A U.S. Coast Guard search did not locate either the pilot or any aircraft wreckage, although an oil slick was found on the water in the vicinity of the last radar position. The pilot successfully escaped the aircraft. The aircraft was based at Paine Field, Everett, Washington, and is presumed to have originated the flight there. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.

On the morning of the disappearance, a woman who identified herself as a close friend of the pilot contacted the Safety Board by telephone. This woman stated that she resides in West Seattle near Alki Point; a map comparison of her reported address with the aircraft's last radar position revealed that the two points were approximately 1/2 mile apart. The woman stated that the pilot had visited her apartment on the night before the disappearance; that he had seemed depressed during the visit; that he was interested in "countries you could go to without a passport"; and that the pilot had a large amount of cash on his person. She also stated that after the pilot left, she noticed that her car keys were not in their usual place, and that at approximately 3:30 the morning of the disappearance, her car was missing. The car, which was then reported stolen, was recovered by law enforcement authoritie