Flight and Maneuver
A pilot carried four parachute jumpers aloft. One jumper exited the aircraft at 4,500 feet; the remaining three jumped at 12,000 feet. After all jumpers had left, the pilot decided to perform a power-off stall. He stated that he was curious about the gliding abilities of the 182 and pulled the mixture control to idle cutoff when the aircraft was over the airport at 11,500 feet. During the stall maneuver, the propeller stopped rotating.
Descent and Engine Restart Attempts
The pilot glided down in an orbit over the airport to 5,000 feet before attempting to restart the engine. All subsequent engine restart efforts during the descent were unsuccessful. The pilot decided to land on runway 32 because the winds were from 330 degrees when he departed.
Landing and Accident
On final approach, the pilot observed that he was high and fast, and the windsock indicated a tailwind. He attempted to use flaps and a prolonged slip; however, the aircraft floated down the entire length of the 3,550-foot-long runway. The aircraft finally touched down on the nose gear 280 feet beyond the runway's departure end. The nose gear collapsed and the aircraft nosed over.
Examination
An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the aircraft and found evidence of fuel leakage past the filler caps as the aircraft lay upside down in the field. No discrepancies were found in the engine, the induction system, or engine compartment fuel lines and filters. With the exception of the bladder fuel tanks, no discrepancies or contaminants were found in the airframe fuel system. Detailed examination of the fuel bladder tanks revealed that portions of the cells were loose and not secured to the internal wing structure. Folds were noted on the bottom of the cells with evidence of trapped fuel in the folds and wrinkles.