Accident Overview
On August 8, 2015, at 1015 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, registration N7506S, was substantially damaged when it nosed over following a runway excursion at Ingalls Field Airport (HSP) in Hot Springs, Virginia. The private pilot and the passenger, his brother, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) in Wise, Virginia. The flight was originating at the time of the accident under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, the airplane had been purchased recently and had sat for about six years prior to the purchase. A fuel tank bladder was replaced, and the airplane was ferried uneventfully from New Jersey to HSP on August 6, 2015. After landing, 45 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline were added, and the airplane remained at HSP until the accident flight as the pilot waited for improved weather. The pilot stated that after takeoff, the airplane climbed to about 100 feet above ground level (agl) when the "rpm dropped." He lowered the nose, landed on the runway, but was unable to stop on the remaining runway. The airplane went down an embankment and nosed over.
Witness Observations
One witness observed the airplane on its takeoff roll on runway 25, which is 5,600 feet long. The witness stated that the airplane lifted off about 2,500 feet down the runway and climbed to about 200 feet agl when it "failed to gain altitude." The engine emitted an audible "sputter," and the airplane then landed back on the runway, went off the end, and flipped over.
Another witness reported that prior to the accident takeoff, the pilot made an initial takeoff attempt, aborted, and taxied back. The engine was then shut down, restarted, and sounded as if a run-up was performed before the accident takeoff.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene. The airplane came to rest inverted, with substantial damage to the left wing, empennage, and vertical stabilizer. The nosewheel assembly had separated from the strut. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to the aileron, elevator, and rudder, with no anomalies noted for the brakes or nose wheel steering. The engine crankshaft continuity was confirmed to the rear accessory gears. Thumb compression and suction were confirmed on all cylinders. The fuel strainer was absent of water or sediment. The left magneto produced spark on all towers when rotated by hand, while the right magneto did not produce spark when rotated by hand.
The right magneto was disassembled, and no mechanical anomalies were noted, but an electrical defect could not be discounted. Additionally, fuel sampled by the pilot from the airplane's right wing exhibited a green tint, and green stains were present on the right side of the fuselage just aft of the door and on the right landing gear strut. The pilot did not report any green tint in the fuel sampled from the left wing, nor was any noted during postaccident examination of the fuel in the fuel strainer. The fuel selector was found in the LEFT fuel tank position. There was no evidence of fuel contamination during the uneventful flight from New Jersey to HSP.
Fuel samples taken by airport personnel from another airplane that had recently been fueled did not exhibit a green tint. The fuel source was sampled and submitted for laboratory testing by airport personnel, and results were normal.
Aircraft and Weather Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1976 and powered by a Continental O-470, 230-horsepower engine. The airplane logbooks were not recovered. At the time of the accident, the airplane had not had a current annual inspection, nor was a ferry permit issued for the trip from New Jersey.
The 1010 weather observation at HSP included wind from 090 degrees at 4 knots, 10 miles visibility, a broken cloud ceiling at 1,000 feet agl, an overcast layer at 4,600 feet agl, temperature 66°F, dewpoint 63°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.09 inches of mercury. The field elevation at HSP is 3,793 feet above mean sea level.