Accident Overview
On September 6, 2021, at about 1515 central daylight time, a Cessna A185F airplane, registration N7574N, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Kingsley, Iowa. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Actions
Before departure, the pilot completed flight planning and added 42 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, bringing the total fuel on board to about 70 gallons. The fuel tanks appeared full when checked through the inboard wing fuel filler ports. The pilot calculated a fuel burn rate of 17 gallons per hour for the planned 2-hour and 45-minute flight. When the airplane was approximately 25 miles from the intended destination, a total loss of engine power occurred. Troubleshooting efforts were unsuccessful, and the pilot executed a forced landing into a corn field. The landing resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.
Post-Accident Examination
The engine and propeller remained attached to the airframe and were undamaged. On November 17, 2021, a post-accident engine test run was conducted. Before adding fuel, the gascolator was examined and found to contain no fuel. Fuel was then supplied from an external tank into the fuel lines associated with the left wing. The engine started on the first attempt with no hesitations or anomalies. When the throttle was advanced, a magneto check showed a drop of 58 rpm from the left magneto and a 60 rpm drop from the right magneto.
Fuel System Findings
Postaccident examination revealed that both left and right fuel tanks were intact. The fuel filler necks and collars were removed from both wings to allow internal inspection of the rubberized bladder fuel cells. The left fuel cell exhibited minor wrinkling but remained attached to its snaps and fittings. The right fuel cell, however, was discovered to be unsecured from its outboard and aft edges, with the cell folded and wrinkled inboard toward the outboard fuel filler neck. The airplane was equipped with optional long-range fuel tanks. According to the Cessna 185 Owner’s Manual, the total unusable fuel for an aircraft with long-range tanks is 6 gallons.