History of Flight
On December 18, 2010, at approximately 1430 central standard time, a Cessna 182C airplane, registration N8556T, crashed shortly after takeoff from Le Gros Memorial Airport (K3R2) in Crowley, Louisiana. A post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The skydiving flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; two additional passengers were seriously injured. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to one witness, the engine made a "percussive" pop sound as it reached about 200 feet above ground level. Two witnesses reported that the nose of the airplane leveled slightly, the right wing dipped, and the airplane impacted the ground. The right wing struck a grassy area between runway 4 and taxiway D, then slid onto the taxiway. Witnesses ran to the wreckage and helped the two survivors egress.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 56, held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land rating, a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land rating, and a flight instructor certificate with single-engine, multiengine, and instrument privileges. He was issued a first-class medical certificate in August 2010 with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." His logbook was not available; the FAA estimated his total flight time at 8,000 hours.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, a Cessna 182C (serial number 52456), was manufactured in 1959 and registered with a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-L engine rated at 230 horsepower at 2,400 rpm, equipped with a McCauley 2-blade variable-pitch propeller. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual and maintained under an annual inspection program. An annual inspection completed on October 4, 2010, at 6,736.6 hours airframe total time included cylinder compression and magneto timing checks, oil filter replacement (no metal contamination), magneto filter replacement, spark plug cleaning/testing, and engine servicing with 11 quarts of oil. The last engine overhaul was March 1, 2000, at 4,005.7 hours, with new pistons, valves, lifters, rods, bolts, spark plugs, ignition harnesses, and magnetos reportedly installed; the NTSB could not determine exact magneto time or if they were new. Supplemental type certificates included a jump door for skydiving; only the two forward occupant seats remained.
Meteorological Information
The closest official weather observation station was Lafayette Regional Airport (KLFT), 25 nautical miles east of the accident site. A routine METAR issued at 1353 reported wind 360 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 11°C, dew point 0°C, altimeter 30.03 inches.
Airport Information
Le Gros Memorial Airport was a public, uncontrolled airport located 7 miles southwest of Crowley, Louisiana, at 30°09′42.25″N, 092°29′02.26″W, elevation 17 feet. It had two open runways: 4/22 (4,307 ft by 150 ft, concrete) and 13/31 (4,012 ft by 150 ft, concrete), both in good condition.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was just south of runway 4/22 on flat, vegetated terrain. A 25-foot-long ground scar marked the initial impact, with green lens fragments at its north end. The scar ended at a larger scar containing paint chips and the nose landing gear assembly. The propeller was west of the second scar. The main wreckage—burnt remains of fuselage, empennage, wings, and engine—came to rest in the center of taxiway D intersection, oriented 342 degrees. The forward fuselage contained instrument panel, pilot seat, left control yoke, and cabin area. Six seat belt buckles were documented (two forward, two center, two rear); webbing had burned. The instrument panel was destroyed; the fuselage charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire. The fuel selector valve position could not be determined.
The right wing was on the southeast side; about 10 feet of outboard leading edge was crushed and torn. Right aileron and flap remained attached, bent and wrinkled; aileron cables were continuous. The Fiberglas wingtip was partially separated and crushed. The right fuel tank was breached at the inboard forward corner, containing about 15 gallons of fuel. The left wing was on the northwest side; left aileron and flap remained attached, bent and buckled; aileron cables were continuous. The left fuel tank was compromised; the wing showed heat and fire exposure. The Fiberglas wingtip was crushed; the leading edge was unremarkable. The aileron follow-through cable had a separation point consistent with tension overload.
The empennage (horizontal/vertical stabilizer, rudder, elevator) remained attached to the fuselage. Dried dirt was on both sides of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Control cables for rudder and elevator were continuous from surfaces to controls.
The engine remained partially attached; both right engine mounts were broken. The cowling was crushed and showed heat/fire exposure. Top spark plugs exhibited normal signatures per Champion chart. The engine was rotated via propeller flange; thumb compression was observed, drive train continuity confirmed, and both magneto impulse couplings snapped at #1 cylinder top dead center. Further examination revealed a piece of engine isolator gasket wrapped around the carburetor main fuel jet, not impeding fuel flow. The engine contained 10 quarts of oil. The propeller separated at the flange; blades A and B were bent aft slightly with 45-degree chordwise scratching on the blade faces. The spinner was crushed near the ground.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office performed the autopsy on the pilot on December 20, 2010, concluding the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the airplane accident. The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed toxicological tests (CAMI Reference #201100014001); results were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. Blood testing revealed 0.063 µg/ml diphenhydramine; urine testing revealed 66.9 µg/ml acetaminophen and diphenhydramine.
Tests and Research
Investigators from the NTSB, Cessna Aircraft, Teledyne Continental Motors, and an FAA inspector examined the engine. During the exam, the distributor gear on both left and right magnetos would not rotate when the crankshaft was rotated. Both magnetos were replaced, and the engine was prepared and placed in a test cell. The engine started on the first attempt without hesitation or stumbling and ran 25 minutes at rpm settings from 1,150 to 2,400 rpm, performing normally without any hesitation, stumbling, or interruption in power.
Magneto Examination: The right magneto (Electrosystems, Inc., PN 10-79020-10 SN9102511) had multiple teeth on the distribution gear separated and several cracked; no other anomalies. The left magneto (Electrosystems, Inc., PN 10-79020-10 SN9102509) had similar damage. Historically, dual magneto failures are extremely rare. The damage was consistent with that found after an engine backfire. It could not be determined which magneto failed first or if they failed simultaneously.