Incident Overview
On August 28, 2024, at about 1050 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, a Cessna 182B airplane, registration N2728B, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a field near Hawi, Hawaii. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 skydiving flight. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported minor injuries.
Flight and Descent
According to the pilot, after dropping skydivers, he initiated a spiraling descent from 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to return to Upolu Airport (PHUP) in Hawi. He reduced the throttle to idle, extended flaps by 20 degrees, and after a few seconds applied full carburetor heat while gradually increasing the engine mixture. As the airplane descended to about 300 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot verified that the mixture was full rich, the propeller was full forward, and the carburetor heat was fully engaged. When he advanced the throttle, the engine did not respond. He performed troubleshooting steps to restore power, but without success.
Forced Landing and Damage
Unable to maintain powered flight, the pilot executed a forced landing in a field approximately one mile west of the airport. During the landing, the airplane encountered uneven terrain, causing the nose gear to collapse. The resulting impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage and engine compartment.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The gascolator contained 100LL aviation fuel, and when fuel was sampled from the airplane's fuel tanks, only a trace amount of water was detected.
Weather and Carburetor Icing Conditions
The closest weather reporting station to the accident site was at Upolu Airport (PHUP), about 0.25 miles east at an elevation of 107 feet. This airport had a non-official automated weather observing system that did not issue long-term observations. However, a weather observation from Kailua/Kona Keahoe Airport (PHKO), located approximately 34 miles south, recorded at 1053 HST a temperature of 84°F and a dew point of 71°F. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, the Carburetor Ice Probability Chart indicated a probability of serious carburetor icing at glide power, with a relative humidity of 81 percent.
The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge notes that carburetor ice is most likely to occur when temperatures are below 70°F and relative humidity exceeds 80 percent, but can also form at temperatures up to 100°F with humidity as low as 50 percent. It cautions that closing the throttle during flight rapidly cools the engine and makes it more susceptible to carburetor icing. It recommends applying full carburetor heat before closing the throttle during suspected icing conditions and periodically opening the throttle to keep the engine warm.