Cessna 182Q Crash in Ecuador

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On August 28, 2010, a Cessna 182Q operated by Aerosangay Servicios Aéreos del Oriente Cía. Ltda. was conducting its fourth flight of the day between Macas and Taisha. The aircraft, registered as 0655B Vuelta, departed Macas at 18:03 UTC under a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan. Aboard were the pilot and two passengers, with 465 pounds of cargo. Approximately 18:23 UTC, six nautical miles from Taisha, the pilot reported hearing a loud noise in the front of the aircraft, followed by an immediate loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency and initiated a right turn to attempt a landing at Taisha. The aircraft struck a tree 1,000 meters from runway 17, resulting in the separation of the left wing and left main landing gear. The occupants evacuated the aircraft and sustained minor injuries. ## Aircraft and Maintenance History The Cessna 182Q, serial number C18266164, was powered by a Teledyne Continental O470 U17 engine. The engine had 1,971.4 hours since new at the time of the accident. Maintenance records indicated that the engine had undergone various repairs, including the replacement of cylinder number 4 in October 2009 and cylinder number 1 rings in November 2009 due to low compression. The company measured cylinder compression every 100 hours, more frequently than the manufacturer's recommended 200 hours. ## Investigation Findings The investigation revealed that the left wing struck a tree at 7 meters above the ground, breaking 80 centimeters from its attachment point. The left landing gear then struck another tree, causing it to detach and impact the left horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft subsequently turned left and crashed nose-down. The pilot and passengers were assisted by local pilots and residents, who transported them to a local hospital. No fire occurred, and there were no third-party damages. The aircraft was not equipped with flight recorders, as it was not required for this category of aircraft.