Incident Summary
On February 27, 2011, at approximately 1306 central standard time, a Cessna 182F, registration N3420U, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after experiencing a partial loss of engine power while in cruise flight near Auburn, Alabama. The airplane was on a local flight that originated at Moton Field Municipal Airport (06A) in Tuskegee, Alabama, around 1235. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot, who held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and had 244 total flight hours (31 hours in the same make and model), reported that while flying northbound at approximately 2,700 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The engine continued to operate but produced insufficient power to maintain altitude. Performing emergency procedures, the pilot identified a road suitable for landing. At about 200 feet agl, he noticed an automobile traveling in the same direction. After landing, the airplane's right horizontal stabilizer struck the back of the automobile, and the automobile impacted the right side of the fuselage. Both the airplane and vehicle veered right and came to rest in a ditch on the right side of the road.
The airplane came to rest in a nose-low, right-wing-low attitude. Both wings remained attached but exhibited crush damage at the tips. The empennage remained attached with visible damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. Substantial damage was noted to the wing spar, right side of the fuselage, and the firewall. All engine mounts were broken, and the propeller remained attached.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found no anomalies in the fuel system or ignition system that would have precluded normal operation. The carburetor was disassembled without anomalies, and fuel drained from the airplane showed no contamination. Approximately 50 gallons of fuel were drained from both wings combined. Inspection of the muffler assembly revealed that one of two baffle cones inside the muffler was separated and lodged between the left muffler cone and the can assembly.
Maintenance records indicated that the right end cap of the muffler was weld repaired on May 1, 1999, and the right side of the muffler was repaired again on July 23, 2000, about 360 flight hours before the accident. Further examination by Cessna Aircraft Company, under FAA supervision, identified the muffler as a Nicrocraft p/n CEM0007, s/n 7-2045, manufactured by Wall Colmonoy Corporation. The right baffle cone was found separated from the inlet tube at the end plate subassembly. Examination showed a circumferential fracture through the cone inlet tube connecting it to the muffler end plate. The fractured components exhibited deformation. The muffler had undergone significant modifications, including weld repairs and replacement of both ends, and did not match the manufacturer's engineering drawing. The dislodged right cone was lodged between the muffler can and the left cone baffle, with recent scoring and wear. Due to heavy degradation of the fracture surfaces, the manner in which the baffle cone fractured could not be determined. The separated cone could partially block the exhaust exit.
The airplane, manufactured in 1963, was equipped with a 230-horsepower Teledyne-Continental Motors O-470 series engine. The most recent annual inspection was performed on September 16, 2010, at a recorded tachometer of 3010.3 total hours; the airplane had operated about 2 hours since then. The inspection card from the maintenance facility included a checklist item to "inspect muffler, heat exchange and baffles," which was marked as completed. The muffler manufacturer's exhaust system inspection checklist advised looking inside mufflers for broken baffles and tubes, as they can restrict the outlet and cause power loss. The Cessna 182 Service Manual recommended thorough exhaust system inspections every 100 hours of operation.