History of Flight
On November 23, 2009, about 1730 central standard time, a Cessna 182P, registration N1986M, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from runway 09 at Kewanee Municipal Airport (EZI), Kewanee, Illinois. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, without a flight plan, in night marginal visual meteorological conditions. The pilot and one passenger received minor injuries; one passenger received fatal injuries. The flight was originating at EZI and its intended destination was Memphis Memorial Airport (03D), Memphis, Missouri.
The pilot reported that he and his wife arrived at EZI earlier that afternoon. They had intended to fly from 03D to Marshall County Airport (C75) in Lacon, Illinois, to pick up their great-grandson and return to their home in Missouri. Instead, they diverted to EZI due to adverse weather at C75. After landing, they waited for their great-grandson to be brought to the airport, then departed. The pilot reported clear skies with 3 to 4 miles forward visibility. He stated that the takeoff started normally, but his next memory was waking up in a corn field.
Pilot Information
The 82-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating but no instrument rating. He had accumulated 2,269 total flight hours, including 780 in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He reported 75 hours of night flight experience, with the last recorded night flight on January 2, 2007. His most recent flight review was completed on March 2, 2009. He held a third-class medical certificate issued February 24, 2009, requiring corrective lenses for near vision.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1976 Cessna 182P, serial number 18264515, a four-seat, high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Continental O-470-S engine rated at 230 horsepower. According to the pilot, the airframe had accumulated 2,735 total hours, and the engine had 1,192 hours since its most recent overhaul. The most recent annual inspection was conducted on April 1, 2009.
Meteorological Information
Sunset occurred at 1635, and the end of civil twilight was at 1705. Weather reports from nearby airports around 1725 included: Galesburg Municipal Airport (27 nautical miles southwest) reported wind 100° at 4 knots, visibility 5 statute miles with haze, clear skies, temperature 9°C, dew point 6°C, altimeter 30.05 inHg. Marshall County Airport (29 nautical miles southeast) reported wind 070° at 4 knots, visibility 3 statute miles with mist, overcast at 500 feet agl, temperature 7°C, dew point 6°C, altimeter 30.09 inHg. Illinois Valley Regional Airport (38 nautical miles east) reported wind 110° at 6 knots, visibility 5 statute miles with mist, overcast at 600 feet agl. Additional reports from Whiteside County Airport and Quad City International Airport showed similar conditions.
Airport Information
Kewanee Municipal Airport is a non-towered, publicly owned airport located about 3 miles southwest of Kewanee. It has two intersecting asphalt runways: 09/27 (4,500 feet by 75 feet) and 01/19 (3,200 feet by 60 feet). Both runways are lighted with medium intensity runway edge lights, operable from dusk to dawn at low intensity; pilots could select medium intensity via the common traffic advisory frequency.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in an unharvested corn field about 0.5 miles south of EZI. The wreckage path extended westward several hundred feet from the initial impact point. The left wing separated at the wing root, with evidence of a fuel spill in that area. The right wing remained attached and contained fuel, with crush damage to its outboard half. The aft fuselage and empennage partially separated just aft of the baggage compartment, showing evidence of twisting. The forward fuselage was upright in a nose-high attitude. The main landing gear remained attached; the nose landing gear was separated.
Examination of the control system revealed continuity of elevator, rudder, and elevator trim controls. The right aileron control cable was intact; the left aileron cable was separated within the left door post, and the balance cable between the ailerons was separated in the cabin ceiling. Both breaks exhibited overload failure signatures. No pre-impact failures were found in the airframe or its systems.
The engine was separated from its mount, with the propeller attached to the crankshaft flange. The engine rotated, produced spark from all leads, and showed compression and suction on all cylinders. The carburetor was disassembled with no defects; the carburetor air box was smashed. No pre-impact engine failures were found. The dry vacuum pump was removed and disassembled; its drive coupling and internal components were intact.