Cessna 182F N3291U

Summary

On 8 May 2018 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 182F registered N3291U was involved in an accident near Luling, Texas, United States. 5 people were on board and 3 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

8 May 2018 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Luling, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

The Carter Memorial Airport (T91)

Coordinates

29.7236, -97.6592

Aircraft

Cessna 182F

Registration

N3291U

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Luling → Luling

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA163

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to secure the left-wing fuel cap after refueling the airplane, which resulted in a fuel leak on takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before taking off for the skydiving flight with four passengers, the commercial pilot refueled the airplane. Shortly after the airplane rotated, the passengers told the pilot that fuel was leaking from the left wing. The pilot believed that the leak was an immediate fire risk, so he decided to perform an off-airport landing. The pilot abruptly lowered the airplane’s nose and landed in a field. The airplane impacted terrain in a left-wing-low attitude and then hit a berm. The engine and right main landing gear separated during the impact sequence, and the left and right wings sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination revealed that the left-wing fuel tank cap was not secured and was dangling by the chain. During examination, no issues or anomalies with the left-wing fuel cap or fuel tank filler inlet were found, and the fuel cap was able to be fully secured. An examination of the airframe, engine, and remaining systems revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not secure the left-wing fuel cap after refueling the airplane. The airport was less than 1 mile away when the passengers told the pilot about the leak. It is possible that the pilot could have returned to the airport and landed the airplane at the airport without further incident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.