Cessna 182J N2913F

Summary

On 15 May 2003 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 182J registered N2913F was involved in an accident near Salem, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 2003 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Salem, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.9156, -122.8978

Aircraft

Cessna 182J

Registration

N2913F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hillsboro → Placerville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA03LA082

1 person had minor injuries.

Loss of power in cruise flight due to a catastrophic engine failure for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while cruising at 11,500 feet in order to get over some clouds, the engine slowly started losing power. Because it appeared to him that it might be carburetor icing, the pilot applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to lose more power. Eventually the engine lost enough power that the pilot was unable to hold altitude, and he therefore found it necessary to descend and attempt a forced landing in an open field. Although the touchdown was uneventful, during the landing roll the aircraft encountered some rough terrain, resulting in substantial damage. A post-accident engine teardown inspection found a large hole in the top of the crankcase, and numerous internal parts failures. There were also several components within the engine that displayed coloration signatures consistent with heat stress due to lack of lubrication, but an inspection of the oil filter, oil filter adapter, propeller governor, push rod seals, oil pressure line, dipstick tube, oil sump quick drain, oil pump, tachometer drive, and oil filler port/cap found no evidence of a pre-event oil leak. Ultimately, the initiating event leading to the sequence of events resulting in the catastrophic engine failure could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.