Cessna 182 N4785D

Summary

On 25 August 2018 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N4785D was involved in an accident near Swainsboro, Georgia, United States. 5 people were on board and 4 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 August 2018 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Swainsboro, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

East Georgia Regional (SBO)

Coordinates

32.6092, -82.3700

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N4785D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Swainsboro → Swainsboro

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18FA231

4 people died.

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After completing several skydiving flights without incident, the airplane was refueled. The pilot completed the next flight uneventfully; however, during takeoff on the subsequent flight, the airplane reached an altitude about 150 ft above ground level when it lost total engine power. A witness reported that the wings "rocked" left and right before the airplane pitched down and impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right fuel tank cap was missing and tape was covering the fuel filler port on the right wing. The tape was installed during the most recent refueling. The fuel selector valve sustained significant thermal damage and was observed in the "both" position when disassembled. Examination of the fuel tank vent line did not reveal any obstructions; however, the line was impact damaged. Examination of the engine and its components revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. While the installation of tape over the right wing fuel filler port likely resulted in a non-venting seal, it could not be determined if it resulted in the loss of engine power, as other means of fuel system venting likely remained. After the total loss of engine power, the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and experienced an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude for the pilot to recover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.