Incident Overview
On April 23, 2011, at approximately 1300 Pacific daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 182B, registration N8435T, suffered a loss of engine power after departing from Colville Municipal Airport (63S) in Colville, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot's Account
According to the pilot, he performed a magneto check and set the flaps to 20 degrees before takeoff on runway 19. During the climb, he retracted the flaps and landing gear. As the gear and flaps were retracted, the engine began losing power but did not stop completely. The pilot lowered the airplane's nose and subsequently landed hard on the runway, skidding to a stop. The left wingtip, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that an annual inspection was completed in November 2010, with no maintenance since, and he had flown about 30 hours after that inspection. In his written statement, he noted that at approximately 200 feet above ground, the engine dropped to idle, surged to full power, then returned to idle. He lowered the nose, checked the fuel selector, activated the fuel boost pump, and retracted the flaps. The engine surged again, so he reduced the throttle to prevent further surging. Near the runway, he applied flaps and flared for landing. The landing gear was still in transit; upon touchdown, the gear collapsed, and the airplane landed on the keels of the floats. The plane slid about 680 feet on the keels with the engine at idle. The pilot then applied full throttle; the engine surged once more and returned to idle. At that point, he pulled the mixture control, and the engine stopped.
FAA Inspector's Findings
An FAA inspector who responded to the accident site noted that the pilot stated he adjusted the manual turbocharger after becoming airborne, which was followed by a decrease in power. The pilot emphasized that the engine never fully quit. To avoid a power-off descent and landing off the runway, the pilot pushed the controls forward and flew the airplane onto the remaining runway. This resulted in a hard landing that damaged the amphibious landing gear. The inspector added that the decision to land on the remaining runway was influenced by obstacles at the end: a steep embankment with power lines, a nursing home, and private residences.
Upon examination of the airplane and engine, the inspector could not determine the reason for the power loss. The engine controls and linkages operated normally, the manual turbocharger spun freely, the electric fuel boost pump functioned, and the spark plugs and fuel injectors appeared normal. Fuel samples from the wing tanks and firewall fuel strainer were clear of debris.