Accident Overview
On September 16, 2011, about 1000 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182H, registration N1843X, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Paragonah, Utah. The private pilot received minor injuries, while three passengers were not injured. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight, which had originated approximately 1 hour 45 minutes before the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, the airplane was in cruise flight when the engine lost power. He performed a forced landing to a road. During the landing roll, he noticed a vehicle approaching and turned the airplane to the right off the road, through a fence, and into an adjacent field. The left wing, fuselage, and firewall were bent and wrinkled.
Post-Accident Examination
A local law enforcement officer examined the airplane immediately after the accident and found both fuel tanks empty. Additionally, the left fuel tank’s cap was missing. The pilot reported finding the fuel cap 3 days later, in the run-up area at his departure airport. The pilot stated that he had filled both fuel tanks before the flight and that he either did not replace the fuel cap or left it loose following the refueling.