Cessna 182L N42336

Summary

On 2 May 2006 at about 14:00 local time, a Cessna 182L registered N42336, operated by Raymond Sainthill, was involved in an accident near Covington, Louisiana, 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

2 May 2006 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Covington, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

St. Tammany Regional Airport (L31)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 182L

Registration

N42336

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Raymond Sainthill

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Covington → Hampton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06CA117

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power due to water contamination in the fuel system for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 2,000-hour private pilot of the single-engine airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during the initial climb. The pilot reported that about 400 feet above the ground (AGL), the engine "abruptly quit," and he attempted a left turn to attempt to return to the field; however, he impacted trees and then the ground before reaching the runway. The pilot also reported that he had topped-off the fuel tanks with 34 gallons of 100LL fuel at the airport 4 days earlier. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the carburetor bowl was half filled with what appeared to be rusty water. The gascolator was removed and examined. It did not contain any fluid; however, the inside of the bowl contained a large amount of corrosion. The wing fuel bladders tanks were empty, and no folds or obstructions were noted. The left fuel tank was breached, and no fuel cap was present. The vented right fuel cap was in good condition, with a pliable rubber gasket. No other evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was observed. The airport fuel provider reported to the FAA that fuel samples were tested on the day of the accident and found to be within specification with no contaminants.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.