Cessna 182J N2644F

Summary

On 19 July 2016 at about 14:03 local time, a Cessna 182J registered N2644F was involved in an accident near Weatherford, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 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

19 July 2016 at 14:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Weatherford, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Parker County (WEA)

Coordinates

32.7272, -97.6822

Aircraft

Cessna 182J

Registration

N2644F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Weatherford → Pecos

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA270

1 person was seriously injured.

An electrical system malfunction for reasons that could not be determined, and the subsequent loss of engine power due to the loss of the electrical boost pumps. Also causal was the pilot's improper emergency action following the loss of engine power due to his lack of knowledge regarding the engine’s supercharger system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot stated that, shortly after takeoff and while 300 to 500 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a loss of power when he activated the flap switch. The pilot troubleshot the loss of power and attempted to restart the engine; the engine restarted momentarily, then lost power again. The pilot did not pull the boost cutoff control. During the emergency landing, the airplane collided with a barbed wire fence and impacted several trees. An electronic engine monitor provided data from the accident flight. There were several noticeable voids in the engine monitor data, indicative of electrical power interruptions to the device. The final electrical power interruption occurred about the time of the accident. The investigation was unable to determine a reason for the electrical power interruptions to the engine monitor other than the cycling of the avionics switch. The airplane's electrical system could not be functionally tested due to impact damage. Four engine test runs were conducted, revealing no anomalies. During the tests, the battery voltage displayed 13 to 15 volts, and the ammeter did not show a discharge. Examination of the airplane revealed that the aftermarket supercharger drive belt was improperly installed upside down. The fuel inlet screen contained a small amount of multicolor organic material similar to tree leaves. The presence of organic material did not adversely affect the engine test runs, and likely was the result of the impact with trees during the accident sequence. According to the emergency procedures provided by the supercharger manufacturer, the supercharged engine can be operated during a loss of electrical power by pulling the boost cutoff control. Pulling the boost cutoff control results in gravity-fed fuel supplying the engine at un-boosted manifold pressure and allows operation as a normally-aspirated engine. Further, if the boost cutoff control is not pulled when electrical power is lost, surging occurs as the carburetor bowl empties and refills and will continue as long as fuel is available in the fuel system. The surging stops when the boost cutoff control is pulled. It is likely that, had the pilot pulled the boost cutoff control, the engine would have stopped surging and engine power would have been restored. The pilot stated he was not trained in the operation of the supercharger; however, the airplane flight manual supplement contained information regarding supercharger operation and emergency procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.