The commercial pilot reported that he maneuvered back toward the airport to land after dropping
skydivers. During the approach for landing, about 1,000 ft above the airport, the engine experienced a
total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and subsequently initiated a forced landing
to the desert floor.
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C-182A Non-Fatal Moab, UT June 13, 2015
The commercial pilot reported that he maneuvered back toward the airport to land after dropping
skydivers. During the approach for landing, about 1,000 ft above the airport, the engine experienced a
total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and subsequently initiated a forced landing
to the desert floor.
2 replies on “C-182A Non-Fatal Moab, UT June 13, 2015”
hey, i’m reading these reports, which is very interesting, but miss in all of these reports the cause of engine failure….
was it fuel starvation?
Why do so many engines quit in the pattern before landing?
Hopefully you can answer my question.
Btw awesome page, helps me a lot as a nee jump pilot!
best wishes,
chrissi
Hi Chrissi,
There are several reasons the engine can quit. Many of these accident reports have been “tagged” with cause. Look at the header of the post and you will see what I have tagged. Some reports might not be final so no cause could be attributed yet. So check back. If you click on Accidents>>By Accident Type you will see a list of causes. Click on the cause and you will see the aircraft associated with it. Also, be sure to click the link to the actual NTSB report I provide as that will be the final say on any accident.
Engine failure in the pattern in C-182s is almost always fuel starvation/exhaustion (heavy on the fuel exhaustion) because the fuel load has been poorly planned or the aircraft’s fuel capacity has been misunderstood. Some reports list carb ice as the cause of engine failure although that’s really impossible to prove as the ice goes away post accident. However, fuel left is usually measurable and even the FAA has misunderstood the fuel system. In the old 182s (1956-1961 models) the unusable fuel is substantially higher than model years after 1962. Draining 10 gallons of fuel post accident in these old models IS “out of fuel”. Sadly, despite years of advertising this to the industry we still have pilots and DZO operators who do not understand this.
Please look through the accident section a couple of different ways. Look back by year to see recent trends. Then look at your aircraft type to see common problems through history. Then click on the accident type to see the common threats to the DiverDriver.
Chris