What happened
On September 26, 2023, a Cessna 182M, registration HK-1437-G, was conducting a private skydiving operation departing from Los Campanos airfield in the Tubará region of Atlántico, Colombia. After completing the jump procedure and beginning the return flight, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power while descending below 3,000 feet.
Unable to reach the intended airfield, the pilot executed an emergency landing on a section of the Auto Sport racetrack. During the landing sequence, the right wing of the aircraft struck a grandstand fence, causing the plane to skid and rotate 180 degrees before coming to a halt near a concrete retaining wall. The pilot, the sole occupant, evacuated the aircraft uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, landing gear, and wings.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the engine's performance and the integrity of the fuel system. While the Continental IO-550-D engine was found to be in acceptable operational condition without internal mechanical failures, investigators identified a critical interruption in fuel flow.
Technical inspections revealed that the fuel system had been compromised by several interacting issues. The investigation examined the fuel tanks, the fuel selector valve, and the ventilation system. Findings indicated that the fuel quantity indicator was not the correct model for this aircraft and was not functioning properly, which limited the pilot's ability to monitor fuel levels accurately during the flight.