Cessna 182N accident near Landshut, 3 April 2010

Overview and Investigation Status The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) summarily closed its investigation into a Cessna 182N accident that occurred on 3 April 2010 near the traffic airfield at Landshut. The report, identified as BFU 3X026-10, was completed under § 18 FlUUG and presents only the facts without assigning fault or liability. ## Aircraft and Pre-Accident Maintenance The aircraft was a Cessna 182N. In late March 2010, a 200-hour inspection was carried out at an aviation technical facility. The aircraft was returned to its owner on 29 March 2010 with a certificate of airworthiness. During the inspection, the fuel selector system was tested, and the inspector stated that the fuel selector lever was left in the “Right Tank” position at the end of the work. ## Flight and Accident Sequence On 3 April 2010, the owner intended to make a local flight as the first flight after the inspection. Before the flight, 54 litres of Avgas were added. The aircraft took off at 14:20 local time with three passengers on board. After a flight time of just over one hour, the pilot radioed Landshut air traffic control that he had engine problems. He recalled that the engine had been sputtering. The pilot made an emergency landing with the landing flaps retracted. After touchdown, the Cessna rolled diagonally across a field and struck a road embankment after about 32 metres. The aircraft overturned and came to rest on its back on the opposite side of the road. ## Casualties and Damage Four occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed, and there was damage to the ground. ## Pilot Information The pilot in command was a 67-year-old male and the owner of the aircraft. He had held a private pilot licence (PPL(A)) issued under JAR FCL (German) since 20 June 2001. His total flight experience was 469 hours. In the preceding 90 days, he had made three landings and flown 2 hours 03 minutes. ## Accident Site and Aircraft Findings The accident site was approximately 1,500 metres north-east of Landshut airfield. The forward fuselage was crushed and the cockpit was heavily damaged. The nose wheel had broken off. The landing flaps were retracted, the right wing strut was bent, and both propeller blades were bent backward at their tips. The ignition switch was in the “Both Magnets” position. The pilot could not state the fuel levels in the wing tanks before the last refuelling, and it could not be determined how the 54 litres of fuel added before the accident flight were distributed between the tanks. After the accident, about 100 litres of fuel were found in the left wing tank, while the right tank contained a residual 1.8 litres, which was below the non-drainable residual quantity specified in the flight manual. The fuel selector lever was in the “Right Tank” position and could not be moved after the accident. The investigation found no technical defects.