Accident Overview
On June 13, 2015, at approximately 1900 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182A airplane, registration N5143D, lost engine power while on final approach to Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) in Moab, Utah. The pilot executed an off-airport forced landing. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained structural damage to the tail section. The aircraft was operated by Skydive Canyonlands under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a skydiving operation. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed.
Pilot and Flight Details
The pilot reported that the airplane had 14 gallons of fuel at departure, with no additional fuel added. The flight departed from runway 21, and the pilot made several left turns to align with the intended drop zone. After the jumpers exited, the pilot flew on a northwestern heading for a few miles before initiating a left turn to return to the airport. About 3 miles from the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine before performing a forced landing on rough desert terrain.
Examination and Fuel Findings
A postaccident examination revealed approximately 5 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank and 3 gallons in the left tank. According to the airplane's operating limitations, there are 10 gallons of unusable fuel, of which 7 gallons may be available in level flight only. The operator reported that the airplane consumes about 12 gallons of fuel per hour, and the accident flight was estimated to last 30 to 35 minutes. Neither the pilot nor the operator completed the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.