WPR24LA042

The pilot reported that he refueled the airplane with 28 gallons of fuel and calculated that he had enough fuel to commute to the airport and drop two loads of sky divers, with a 30-minute reserve. He estimated that the airplane burned about 7 gallons per 30 minutes of flight. The flight to the accident airport and drop of two loads of sky divers were uneventful. While on final to land after the third flight, the pilot advanced the throttle without a corresponding increase in power. He enriched the mixture, verified that the fuel selector was selected to Both, and checked his instruments while maintaining pitch for best glide. He then attempted to restart the engine. Unable to maintain altitude or land on the intended runway, he chose to land on flat desert terrain. During landing, the aircraft impacted a ditch resulting in substantial damage. Repeated attempts to coordinate an examination with the operator were unsuccessful. Based on this information, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

On November 26, 2023, at 1100 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182G, N2428R, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Casa Grande, Arizona. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 skydiving flight. The pilot reported that he refueled the airplane at his home airport, Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona, with 28 gallons. He estimated that would be enough fuel to fly to Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ) and complete the planned skydiving operations with30 minutes reserve fuel remaining. After he arrived at CGZ, he parked the airplane and was briefed on the schedule. He conducted another preflight inspection of the airplane and noted he had 21 gallons of fuel. He completed the first drop with four passengers and came back to the airport, parked the airplane and waited for the arrival of the next group. The pilot reported that as he waited for the next group, he checked the fuel and noted the airplane had 14 gallons remaining; he determined this would be enough fuel for this flight, a 30-minute reserve and 1 extra “load.” The pilot reported that each “load” burns about 7 gallons of fuel and is 30 minutes or less to complete. The takeoff and climb to altitude to unload the sky divers was normal. After the sky divers left the airplane, the pilot began his descent down to pattern altitude. The descent to land was normal and he completed the before landing checklist. On short final for runway 5 at CGZ, about 250-500 ft above ground level, he attempted to increase the throttle and noted there was not a normal increase in power. He immediately enriched the mixture, verified the fuel selector was on BOTH and checked his instruments, and attempted to restart the engine. The pilot stated that during all of this he was maintaining pitch for best glide but realized that he was not going to make the runway. He chose to maneuver away from the runway approach lights and landed in a flat desert area, where the airplane impacted and stopped in a ditch that was about 8 ft wide by 8 ft deep. After exiting the airplane and calling 911, he secured the airplane via mixture cutoff and turned off the master and magneto switches. Postaccident photos of the airplane show that the aft fuselage was substantially damaged. The operator, who owned the airplane, recovered the airplane and eventually relocated it out of state before the airplane and engine could be examined. Repeated attempts to gather more information and conduct a follow-up examination were unsuccessful.