History of Flight
On July 1, 2010, at about 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182P, registration N222CG, impacted terrain approximately 2 miles northeast of Catalina Airport (AVX) in Avalon, California. The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage from a post-impact fire. The pilot/owner operated the flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight departed Gillespie Airport (SEE) in San Diego, California, at an undetermined time, destined for Catalina. No flight plan was filed.
According to the airport manager, who was monitoring the airport's UNICOM frequency, the pilot reported no feeling on his right side and stated he thought he was having a heart attack. No further communications were received. Shortly after the pilot's medical report, smoke was observed near Echo Lake by a conservancy park ranger. Responding personnel from the Los Angeles County fire department reported an airplane crash that ignited a 20-acre fire.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The 54-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating, issued on October 18, 2007. He held a third-class medical certificate issued on May 6, 2009, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses for distant vision. According to his logbook, the pilot had accumulated 702.2 total flight hours, with 16.7 hours in the previous 90 days and 0 hours in the last 30 days. He had an estimated 131 hours in the accident make and model and completed a flight review on October 13, 2009.
The aircraft logbooks were not located, but copies of the most recent inspections were obtained from the maintenance facility that performed the last annual inspection on February 18, 2010. The Cessna 182P, serial number 18263934, had a total time of 1,697.3 hours. The engine, a Continental O-470-S2K (serial number 819162-R), had 220.5 hours since major overhaul. The McCauley propeller (2A34C203-C, serial number 982234) had 441.7 hours total time (since new).
Medical and Pathological Information
The Department of Coroner, County of Los Angeles, performed an autopsy on July 3, 2010. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory conducted toxicological tests. The autopsy noted severe coronary atherosclerosis with 90-percent narrowing of the right and left coronary arteries, and soot in the upper and lower airways. The Forensic Science Laboratory detected less than 0.50 ug/ml of diphenhydramine. The cause of death was listed as traumatic injury with thermal burns; other conditions contributing to but not related to the immediate cause of death were listed as occlusive coronary arteriosclerosis. Toxicological analysis detected diphenhydramine in the liver and brain. No ethanol was detected. Tests for carbon monoxide or cyanide were not performed.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that fire had consumed most of the airplane’s structure. The cabin floor where the main gear attached was the largest identifiable portion of the cabin. Recovery personnel cut all control cables to facilitate recovery. Aileron control cables were connected to each aileron bellcrank and the control column. Rudder cables were attached to the rudder horn and rudder pedal bars. Elevator cables were attached to the rear elevator bellcrank.
The fuel system was consumed by the post-impact fire. The fuel selector valve and handle were not located. The fuel strainer screen was clear of debris. Investigators could not determine the ignition switch position. The engine sustained significant fire damage: portions of all valve covers melted, the cylinder head for the number 5 cylinder melted, the top of the crankcase melted away, preventing engine rotation. The right magneto partially melted, and the carburetor was in multiple pieces. The two-bladed propeller remained attached to the hub, but one blade melted off near the hub; the other blade was bent aft with scrape marks along its forward side and leading edge damage. Inspection of the airframe and engine revealed no abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation.