History of Flight
On June 12, 2019, about 1102 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182E, N3051Y, was substantially damaged when it crashed into Lake Maitland near Maitland, Florida. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Earlier that day, the pilot and passenger flew from Oconee County Regional Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina, to Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida. A fuel receipt showed that the pilot purchased 21.1 gallons of fuel before departing CEU, and the pilot's filed flight plan indicated departure with 4 hours of fuel on board. According to radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight duration from CEU to ORL was 3.10 hours. The pilot did not purchase fuel at ORL before departing about 1055 for Massey Ranch Airpark (X50), New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Air traffic control radio communications revealed that the pilot declared an emergency at 1101 and stated that the airplane was not getting fuel out of the right tank. The pilot asked for the nearest airport, and the controller provided vectors back toward ORL. The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 13 and instructed him to contact the tower controller. The pilot reported to the tower controller that the airplane was not getting fuel out of the right tank. The controller cleared the pilot to land, but the pilot did not respond, and no further communications were received.
A witness in a boat on the northeast side of Lake Maitland heard and saw the airplane flying overhead. The engine was sputtering "like it was running out of gas." He watched the airplane fly over the lake to the north, then make a 180° turn back toward the lake; he thought the pilot was trying to perform a water landing. The witness stated that it looked like the airplane may have hit treetops at the edge of the water because it nosed over and descended straight into the water, impacting "very hard." He went to the airplane, which was still above water but quickly sank.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Cessna 182E equipped with bladder-type fuel cells in each wing, each with a capacity of 32.5 gallons. It also had an auxiliary fuel tank installed behind the rear seat with a capacity of 18 gallons. When the auxiliary fuel switch was on, fuel was transferred to the right fuel tank. According to the owner's manual, the unusable fuel for each wing tank was 2.5 gallons, and for the auxiliary tank was 0.5 gallons.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was located in Lake Maitland at a depth of 20 ft. Two gallons of fuel were removed from each wing tank and from the auxiliary tank. The left and right wings remained attached, and control surfaces were intact. Both main fuel tanks remained intact and unbreached with fuel caps secure. The rudder, elevator, and vertical stabilizer were attached and undamaged. The main landing gear was attached and undamaged.
The instrument panel was intact but separated from its mounts. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were in the forward position. The fuel selector valve was in the right main fuel tank position. The auxiliary fuel pump switch was in the off position. Lap belts and shoulder harnesses remained attached. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all surfaces.
The propeller was attached to the engine; one blade was bent forward, one blade tip was bent forward, and the third blade was straight. The bottom engine cowl displayed impact damage; the muffler and airbox were crushed. The top engine cowling was undamaged. The engine remained attached to its mounts and was not damaged.
The airplane was recovered to a salvage facility. The fuel removed from the airplane was used for a postaccident engine operational check. The engine started without hesitation and ran continuously for about 3 minutes at various power settings.
A JPI 700 engine monitor was recovered and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. The data showed cylinder head temperatures (CHT) and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT) decreasing 2 minutes before the data ended. The data also revealed a spike in fuel flow rate consistent with air introduced into the fuel lines.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Orlando, Florida, listed the cause of death as craniocervical trauma. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for drugs and alcohol.