Cessna 182H Emergency Landing in Chile

Incident Overview and Location On February 12, 2021, a Cessna 182H aircraft was involved in an aviation incident in Chile. The aircraft was operating a flight between the Los Vilos sector in the Coquimbo Region and Aeródromo Diego Portales (SCLQ) in La Ligua, Valparaíso Region. During the flight, the engine stopped, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing on highway E-37-D, located 12 nautical miles northeast of La Ligua. The right wingtip fairing struck a tree during the landing. ## Flight Details and Personnel The aircraft was piloted by a 38-year-old Chilean commercial pilot with 2,430 total flight hours. The pilot held a commercial pilot license for single-engine land aircraft and was medically fit. A passenger was also on board. Both the pilot and the passenger were uninjured in the incident. ## Aircraft and Maintenance Information The Cessna 182H, serial number 18256077, was manufactured in 1965 and had 4,540.6 flight hours. It was powered by a Continental O-470-U engine and equipped with a McCauley 2A34C204-C/90DCB-8 propeller. The aircraft's last 100-hour inspection was completed on January 28, 2020. The engine and propeller had their last 100-hour inspections on September 22, 2020. The aircraft was fueled with AVGAS 100LL, and fuel samples showed no visible contaminants. ## Damage and Investigation The incident resulted in damage to the right wingtip fairing, with no other damage reported. The investigation was conducted in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and Chilean regulations, focusing on determining the causes of the incident for safety prevention purposes.