Occurrence Details
On 28 June 2018, a Cessna 182T aircraft, registered D-ESEM and operated by Luftsportverein Biberach, was involved in an accident near Osoi village, Iași County, Romania. The aircraft departed from Debrecen, Hungary, around 13:00 UTC on a private IFR flight to Iași. The pilot and a passenger were on board; the aircraft was destroyed in the landing.
History of the Flight
After takeoff, the aircraft climbed to flight level 110. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the pilot contacted TMA NAPOC NORD sector and reported an estimated landing time. Later, the aircraft entered the NAPOC sector and reported at ABOLO checkpoint. The controller directed the aircraft toward TEVSA. After crossing the Carpathian Mountains, flight conditions became IMC with outside temperature +2°C, temporary heavy rain, and electric discharges south of the flight path. The pilot requested a direct route to ABOLO to avoid bad weather, which was approved. The controller provided the last METAR for Iași: wind 290/7 knots variable 260-330, visibility 6000 m, thunderstorm rain, broken 030 CB, temperature 21°C, dew point 18°C, QNH 1005.
At 15:13:08 UTC, the pilot reported entering a heavy thunderstorm and needing to descend below flight level 110. The controller advised of anti-hail missile operations on the left side. While at flight level 80, the aircraft passed through a hail area for about 20 seconds. The engine then experienced a sudden drop in power. Strong turbulence followed; the pilot attempted to improve engine performance through various controls but the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. It exited the cloud layer at about 3000 ft, allowing visual contact with the ground.
Emergency and Forced Landing
At 15:14:28 UTC, the pilot communicated engine problems to the controller. The pilot decided to perform a forced landing on a field between two localities. At 15:26:41 UTC, the pilot declared an emergency due to engine problems and informed the controller of the forced landing. Upon touchdown on soft terrain, the nose gear broke. The aircraft slid forward 22 meters and came to rest rotated approximately 90 degrees to the left. The accident site coordinates were Latitude 47°06′14.25″ N, Longitude 027°11′03.37″ E.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The Cessna 182T (serial number T18208967, manufactured 2009) was equipped with a Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A engine (serial L3386-61A) and a Garmin G1000 integrated flight control system with Primary Flight Display and Multifunctional Flight Display. The aircraft also had an optional Stormscope system for lightning detection. The total airframe time was 993 flight hours. The pilot, male aged 65, held a valid CPL(A) license and Class 2 medical certificate. His total flight experience could not be determined.
Investigation
The Romanian Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Center (SIAA) conducted the investigation. The European Commission, EASA, BFU Germany (state of operator), and NTSB USA (state of manufacture) were notified. Data from the Garmin G1000 and communications recordings were used to reconstruct the event.