Accident Details
On May 1, 2009, about 1518 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, registration N382CH, collided with objects during an off-airport forced landing following a loss of engine power at Puyallup, Washington. The certificated airline transport pilot, who was the owner and sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe, rudder, and wings from impact forces. The personal cross-country flight was departing with an intended destination of Bremerton, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that this was the first flight following completion of an annual inspection, which included replacement of the fuel sending units and draining of fuel tanks. He experienced no anomalies during start, taxi, run-up, or takeoff. About 500 feet above ground level over the departure end of runway 34, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a steep 180-degree turn, intending to land on the parallel taxiway. The airplane was short takeoff and landing (STOL) equipped, and he had practiced this maneuver.
During the turn, local law enforcement, conducting an exercise on the field, drove down the taxiway on which the pilot intended to land. The pilot looked for an alternate site and noted the area between the parallel taxiway and runway was soft due to recent rainfall. At about 50 feet above ground level, he saw a heavy fence and considered it too substantial to hit. He then turned to the right toward a port-a-potty maintenance and storage facility. The pilot chose to fly the airplane into a 50-foot square block of port-a-potty units, behind which was a pile of wood chips. He aimed to contact the units about 3-5 feet above the seat and tank area. The pilot reported a 2-g deceleration as the airplane slowed from an estimated 60 knots to 30 knots. As it settled, the airplane nosed over and came to rest softly in the wood chip pile.
Maintenance and Fuel
Maintenance personnel indicated they had fueled the airplane with 20 gallons in each tank and completed a 10-minute ground run of the engine without any difficulties prior to the accident flight. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane on the night of the accident, after it had been moved to a hangar. The inspector noted that maintenance personnel drained no fuel from the left tank and 20 gallons from the right tank. The left wing was intact; the right wing sustained damage and drooped. The fuel selector was in the OFF position. The inspector interviewed the pilot, who indicated he did not visually check inside the fuel tanks prior to flight. The pilot stated that the fuel gauges indicated an equal amount in each tank.
Engine Examination
On May 11, maintenance personnel added 5 gallons of fuel to the left wing tank. The engine started immediately and ran until all temperatures and pressures were within normal operating limits. The engine was run up to 1,800 rpm, accelerating smoothly without hesitation. A magneto check showed a 50 rpm drop on both magnetos. The engine then decelerated to idle rpm and ran smoothly before an unremarkable shutdown.
Data Analysis
The airplane was equipped with a J.P. Instruments EDM 700/800 engine data management unit that recorded fuel flow, manifold pressure, engine rpm, exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and cylinder head temperature (CHT) for all six cylinders, along with time. A plot of the data revealed an initial rpm of 1,400 and fuel flow of 4 gph. About 32 seconds later, fuel flow increased linearly over 12 seconds to 28 gph, and rpm increased to 2,600. These values remained constant for 18 seconds. Fuel then decreased linearly to 0 gph over 12 seconds. Six seconds after fuel flow began to decrease, rpm decreased linearly over 6 seconds to 1,400 rpm, then gradually declined to 700 rpm over the next 14 seconds, where data ended. The EGT dropped rapidly as rpm decreased.