Accident Overview
On March 18, 2021, at about 1615 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182K airplane, registration N2548R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Las Vegas, Nevada. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Preflight and Departure
The pilot reported performing a preflight inspection before a planned 30-nautical-mile flight. He measured the fuel quantity using both a dipstick and the fuel quantity indicators, noting approximately 13 gallons in each tank for a total of 26 gallons. He observed no evidence of fuel leaks during the walkaround. After engine start, the pilot completed an engine run-up but then shut down the engine to retrieve an item from his car. He conducted another preflight inspection, again finding no fuel leaks, then restarted the engine and departed with the fuel selector set to BOTH. At that time, the fuel quantity indicators showed each tank just below half full.
In-Flight Events
Approximately halfway through the flight, the pilot noticed the fuel gauges fluctuating between 1/4 and 3/8 full. He reported being unconcerned because the destination was near. However, when about 2 nautical miles from the airport, the fuel level in both tanks had dropped below 1/4. While turning onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot notified the tower controller of the power loss and attempted a forced landing. The airplane touched down hard in dirt approximately 500 feet short of runway 12R and came to rest upright. The pilot did not detect any fuel odor in the cockpit during the flight.
Postaccident Findings
The fuselage sustained substantial damage. Cell phone video recorded by the pilot minutes after the accident showed a slow fuel leak emanating from the fuel sump downstream of the fuel selector. A postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. Inspection of the fuel system found no breaches in the fuel lines, fuel tanks, valves, or sumps. The fuel tank caps were in good condition. The fuel sump functioned normally when tested, and the fuel selector valve operated without obstruction, rotating correctly among the RIGHT, LEFT, and OFF positions. No fuel staining was observed on the underside of the fuselage.
Airport personnel responded immediately after being notified by air traffic control. They waited about 10 to 15 minutes for authorization from the airport manager, who cleared them to move the airplane at 1630. Towing to a nearby maintenance facility took approximately one hour. At the facility, a trough was placed under the leaking fuel sump. According to the maintenance facility, less than one gallon of fuel leaked from the sump, and an inspection of the fuel tanks that evening found them completely dry. Airport personnel reported that less than one quart of residual fuel had spilled at the accident site following the forced landing.
The pilot stated that he had accumulated all his flight experience in the accident airplane, which he had purchased two years prior. He used a fuel consumption rate of 8 gallons per hour for his fuel calculations and normally verified fuel quantity using both the gauges and a dipstick.