History of Flight
On August 9, 2011, about 1714 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182, registration N8718T, landed in a field while on approach to Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDL). The aircraft was substantially damaged and came to rest after striking a tree on the north side of the field. The commercial pilot, who was the only occupant, sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Fly High Aviation LLC under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an air drop flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight originated from Boulder Municipal Airport (BJC) at 1645.
The purpose of the flight was to drop two parachutists. The pilot stated that she fueled the airplane, performed a preflight and run-up, and departed. The climb to 13,000 feet was normal, and the subsequent drop was normal. She began a descent, reduced the manifold pressure to 12 inches, and applied carburetor heat. Passing through 9,000 feet, the airplane was about 3 miles from BJC when the pilot reduced power for a straight-in approach to runway 26. She then attempted to add power to adjust her descent rate, but there was no response. After performing a power loss checklist, she continued toward the runway thinking that she could glide to a safe landing. About 3/4 mile from the threshold, she stated that a downdraft put her in a position where she would not make the runway. She chose an open field and set up for a forced landing. Upon touchdown, the airplane rolled out nicely, but the pilot could not avoid colliding with some trees at the edge of the field. The left wing struck a tree, and the airplane spun around. After coming to a stop, the pilot quickly exited the airplane because she saw fuel pouring out of the left wing.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial certificate with ratings for single-engine and multi-engine airplanes. She had about 556 total flight hours, of which 59 hours were in the Cessna 182. She held a valid Class 3 medical certificate without waivers or limitations. She was employed by the operator to pilot skydiving flights.
Aircraft Information
The 1960 model Cessna 182C had 3,853.3 total airframe hours as of its last annual inspection, which was completed on July 28, 2011. The engine, a Continental Motors O-470, had 1,347.3 hours since its last overhaul. The operator provided maintenance logbooks, and upon review, no abnormalities were discovered other than routine maintenance entries and annual inspection notations.
Meteorological and Airport Information
Local witnesses stated that the weather was mild with little to no wind. The nearest weather reporting station was located at Boulder County Airport (BJC), about 9 miles from the accident site. The weather METAR at 1649 local time reported scattered clouds at 7,000 feet and broken clouds at 14,000 feet, wind from 110 degrees at 3 knots, and 50 miles visibility.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located about 1.5 miles northeast of Boulder County Airport. Tire impressions in the grass of an open field showed a landing roll in a northwesterly direction until the airplane collided with trees. First responders noted that upon their arrival, fuel was found leaking. The leading edges of both wings had impact damage corresponding to impact with the trees. The nose gear assembly was folded up into the belly of the airplane. On-site examination of the flight controls confirmed continuity from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The engine was attached to the airframe and exhibited some impact damage to the belly under the engine compartment. When moved by hand, the throttle linkage to the air induction box did not move smoothly and was stiff; however, the area just underneath the box appeared to be pushed upward from impact forces. On first sight, the linkage to the induction box did not appear to have been altered by impact forces, but since the damage underneath the engine compartment was so close to the box, it is undetermined whether or not the throttle linkage anomaly was present before impact. The propeller assembly remained attached to the engine hub, and both blades were straight with little damage. About 5 gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank, and about 0.5 gallons were drained from the right fuel tank. The fuel selector was found in the 'Both' position. Because of the fuel leakage due to impact damage, there was no way to quantify exactly how much fuel was onboard at the time of the accident.
Tests and Research
The wreckage was released to its owner after the engine examination. The airplane was transported to Greeley, Colorado for a more detailed examination of the engine. Upon general inspection, no abnormalities were observed. No evidence of debris, obstructions, or water contamination was identified in the airframe fuel gascolator. About 8.5 quarts of oil was in the engine. Some oil residue was found on the belly skin of the airplane and was identified to have originated from an aftermarket oil drain installation. The throttle linkage to the induction box was adjusted, and the engine was test-run while still in the airframe mounts. It started normally and ran at various power settings with no anomalies noted. Throughout the engine run, the engine accelerated normally without hesitation. A magneto RPM drop check was normal.