History of Flight
On August 6, 2015, about 2210 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182F airplane, N5738F, impacted mountainous terrain about 15 miles northeast of Montecito, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Pacific Coast Flyers as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 cross-country business flight. Night visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from San Luis County Regional Airport, San Luis Obispo, California, at an undetermined time, and was destined for Mc Clellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad, California.
The pilot checked in with Point Mugu Approach Control at 2147:31. Less than a minute later, he reported a problem and asked for directions. At 2148:26, he reported they were going to lose an engine. The controller and pilot discussed diversion to Santa Barbara. At 2149:27, the pilot reported vibrations and that he couldn't see anything, then an oil problem. At 2150:21, he reported smoke entering the cabin. The controller declared an emergency. No further communications were received after 2150:58. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department located the wreckage the next morning at 0430 in mountainous terrain.
Aircraft and Engine Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear Cessna 182F, serial number 18254796, was manufactured in 1963. It was powered by a Continental Motors O-470-R 230-horsepower reciprocating engine. The airplane had been purchased by a private owner on November 22, 2014, and leased to Pacific Coast Flyers. An annual/100-hour inspection was completed on May 1, 2015, at an airframe total time of 6,050.25 hours and engine time since major overhaul of 250.4 hours. The engine was overhauled in 2009 and installed on the accident airplane on September 18, 2009.
Oil sample reports from 2011 to 2015 indicated the presence of excessive wear metals, with recommendations for shorter oil change intervals. The final report in February 2015 showed improvement, with wear metals in the average range.
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane impacted a mountain at an elevation of 3,554 ft and came to rest inverted on a near-vertical slope about 300 feet below the ridgeline. Oil was observed on the undercarriage from the nose to the tail cone. A visual examination of the engine revealed a hole in the top of the engine case near the No. 6 cylinder. The engine was shipped to the manufacturer for teardown.
The teardown revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod had fractured and separated from the crankshaft, causing internal damage. The engine's internal components exhibited signs of oil starvation. Residual oil was found in the top and front of the engine crankcase. The airframe examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and private pilot privileges for airplane single- and multiengine land. A review of FAA medical records showed the pilot was issued a time-limited, special issuance second-class medical certificate on March 7, 2015. That issuance was withdrawn and a general denial issued on April 27, 2015, for alcohol dependence and failure to report a 2013 DUI. The pilot requested reconsideration on July 29, 2015, but a decision was pending at the time of the accident. Toxicology testing detected 0.0431 and 0.002 (ug/ml, ug/g) tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (inactive marijuana metabolite) in liver and cavity blood; no tetrahydrocannabinol was detected. Ethanol was detected at 67 mg/dL in cavity blood, though none in urine or vitreous.
Meteorological Conditions
The nearest weather reporting station was Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, 23 nautical miles southwest. At 2153, conditions were clear sky, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 21°C, dew point 17°C, wind from 100° at 6 knots, altimeter 29.83 inHg. Civil twilight ended at 2023.