Maitland, FL, USA
N3051Y
Cessna 182
The private pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight; according to his filed flight plan, the airplane had 4 hours of fuel onboard. After flying about 3.1 hours, the pilot landed at an intermediate airport before continuing to his destination, which was about 34 miles away. He did not purchase fuel at the intermediate stop. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and stated that the airplane was not getting fuel out of the right main fuel tank. The pilot was cleared to land at the nearest airport (the intermediate airport) and radio contact with the airplane was lost shortly thereafter. A witness in a boat on a lake saw and heard the airplane overhead. He stated that the engine was sputtering like it was running out of gas. He further stated that the airplane flew past the lake, made a 180° turn and flew back toward the lake; it appeared to impact trees on the lakeshore, then impacted the water. The airplane was recovered from the lake; the intact, unbreached main fuel tanks each contained about 2 gallons of fuel, and the single auxiliary tank also contained about 2 gallons of fuel. According to the owner's manual, the unusable fuel in each main fuel tank was 2.5 gallons and 0.5 gallons in the auxiliary tank. The fuel selector was found in the right main tank position. A test run of the engine using the fuel from onboard the airplane revealed no anomalies. Onboard engine monitor data from the accident flight showed that the cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures decreased 2 minutes before the data ended. The data also showed the fuel flow rate spiked during the same time, likely due to air introduced into the fuel lines as the engine was starved of fuel.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 12, 2019, about 1102 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182E, N3051Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Maitland, Florida. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Earlier on day of the accident, the pilot and passenger flew the airplane from Oconee County Regional Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina, to Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida. A fuel receipt revealed that the pilot purchased 21.1 gallons of fuel before departing CEU, and the pilot's filed flight plan indicated that the airplane departed CEU with 4 hours of fuel on board. According to radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the duration of the flight from CEU to ORL was 3.10 hours. The pilot did not purchase fuel at ORL before departing about 1055 for his next destination, Massey Ranch Airpark (X50), New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Air traffic control radio communication information provided by the FAA revealed that the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control at 1101 and stated that the airplane was not getting fuel out of the right tank. The pilot asked for the nearest airport and the controller provided vectors back toward ORL. The controller cleared the pilot to land and instructed him to contact the tower controller at ORL. The pilot also reported to the tower controller that the airplane was not getting fuel out of the right tank. The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 13, but the pilot did not respond, and no further communications were received from the accident airplane. A witness stated that he was in a boat on the northeast side of Lake Maitland when he heard and saw an airplane flying overhead. The engine was sputtering "like it was running out of gas." He watched the airplane fly over the lake to the north then make a 180° turn back toward the lake; he thought the pilot was trying to perform a water landing. The witness stated that it looked like the airplane may have hit treetops at the edge of the water because it nosed over and descended straight into the water, impacting "very hard." He immediately went over to the airplane, which was still above water; however, it quickly sank. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot's logbook was not located. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Each wing was equipped with a bladder-type fuel cell, each with a capacity of 32.5 gallons. The airplane was also equipped with an auxiliary fuel tank installed behind the rear seat, with a capacity of 18 gallons. When the auxiliary fuel switch was selected on, fuel was transferred to the right fuel tank. According to the airplane's owner's manual, the unusable amount of fuel for each wing tank was 2.5 gallons, and the amount of unusable fuel in the auxiliary tank was 0.5 gallons. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane was located in Lake Maitland at a depth of 20 ft. Two gallons of fuel were removed from each wing tank and from the single auxiliary tank. The left and right wings remained attached to the airframe, and their respective control surfaces remained attached. Both left and right main fuel tanks remained intact and unbreached; the fuel caps were in place and secure. The rudder, elevator, and vertical stabilizer were attached and not damaged. The main landing gear was attached and not damaged. The instrument panel was intact; however, the panel was separated from its mounts. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were in the forward position. The fuel selector valve was in the right main fuel tank position. The auxiliary fuel pump switch was in the off position. The lap belts and shoulder harnesses remained attached. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The propeller was attached to the engine; one blade was bent forward, one blade tip was bent forward, and the third blade was straight. The bottom engine cowl displayed impact damage. The muffler and airbox were crushed. The top engine cowling was not damaged. The engine remained attached to the engine mounts and not damaged. The airplane was recovered to a salvage facility and secured to a trailer in preparation for an engine run. The fuel that was removed from the airplane was used to conduct a postaccident engine operational check. The engine started without hesitation and ran continuously for about 3 minutes at various power settings. A JPI 700 engine monitor was recovered from the airplane and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for data download. The data showed the cylinder head temperatures (CHT) and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT) decreasing 2 minutes before the data ended. The data also revealed that the fuel flow rate spiked during that time consistent with air introduced into the fuel lines. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMAITON An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Office of the Office of the Medical Examiner, Orlando, Florida. The report listed the cause of death as craniocervical trauma. Toxicology testing was performed on the pilot by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory. The results were negative for drugs and alcohol.
The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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