What happened
On November 29, 2009, a Cessna 182T, registration RA-1018G, was operating a flight from Yoshkar-Ola to Novokuznetsk via Omsk. The flight was scheduled to depart at 05:40 UTC, and the aircraft subsequently took off at 06:17 UTC. During the flight, which was being conducted under continuous overcast conditions, the pilot climbed to an altitude of 3,300 meters.
Approximately five to seven minutes before passing the Mendeleevo radar station, the pilot observed the engine oil pressure gauge fluctuating and entering the red sector, indicating that oil pressure had dropped below permissible limits. The pilot did not initially report this malfunction to air traffic control. While passing the Mendeleevo radar station, the pilot requested permission to divert to Perm as an alternate airport, citing the lack of an onboard toilet. Air traffic control approved the request and authorized a descent for landing at Perm.
At 08:03 UTC, the pilot notified the controller of an engine failure. The crew attempted to restart the engine during flight, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The aircraft entered a glide mode to manage the descent.
The investigation
At 08:17 UTC, the aircraft performed a forced landing outside of an airfield. The accident occurred within the city limits of Perm at coordinates 57°59'42" N, 055°54'34" E. The investigation noted that the pilot had observed declining oil pressure prior to the total engine failure but had not communicated the technical issue to the controller until the engine ceased functioning.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a total engine failure following a period of unstable oil pressure.
- The pilot did not report the initial drop in oil pressure to air traffic control services.