Cessna 182A N4715D

Summary

On 11 June 2012 at about 14:40 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N4715D was involved in an accident near Colfax, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 June 2012 at 14:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Colfax, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Colfax (S94)

Coordinates

46.8783, -117.3658

Aircraft

Cessna 182A

Registration

N4715D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lewiston → Spokane

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12CA257

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the missing carburetor drain plug, which had not been secured with safety wire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after leveling off and beginning the cruise portion of the cross-country flight, the engine lost all power. The private pilot/owner performed a forced landing on a highway; however, just before the landing flare, the airplane’s vertical stabilizer struck a power cable and partially separated from the tailcone. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor drain plug was missing. The pilot stated that he had flown the airplane using automotive gasoline about 2 months before the accident. When the engine was subsequently difficult to start, the pilot removed the carburetor drain plug to purge the system of automotive fuel. He stated that he did not use safety wire to secure the plug after performing this operation. Maintenance personnel examined the carburetor after the pilot reported that the engine was running rough (about 2 months before the accident) and again during the airplane’s annual inspection (about 1 month before the accident). Although maintenance personnel reported that on both occasions the drain plug was secured with safety wire, physical evidence suggested that the drain plug had never been secured with safety wire. Because of the contradictory statements and inconclusive evidence, it was not possible to determine who was responsible for the unsecured drain plug.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.