Cessna 182M N777RK

Summary

On 15 June 2019 at about 16:43 local time, a Cessna 182M registered N777RK was involved in an accident near Upland, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2019 at 16:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Upland, California, United States

Nearest airport

Cable (CCB)

Coordinates

34.1133, -117.6806

Aircraft

Cessna 182M

Registration

N777RK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Upland → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19LA174

3 people were seriously injured.

The total loss of engine power due to detonation within the No. 2 cylinder as a result of a lean fuel flow setting.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff, as the airplane ascended through about 250 ft above ground level, the engine began to sputter, and he initiated a left turn in an attempt to return to the airport. Shortly after, the engine lost all power, and the pilot initiated a forced landing to an open area near the departure runway on airport property. During landing, the airplane bounced, became airborne, and traveled across a road before it landed in a parking lot, impacted trees, and came to rest upright. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 cylinder would not produce compression. Further examination and removal of the cylinder revealed evidence of detonation on the piston and cylinder head. Due to impact damage sustained to the airplane, throttle, mixture, and propeller control travel limits could not be determined. Downloaded data from the engine monitoring unit revealed evidence of a low fuel flow rate for takeoff about, or about 8 to 10 gallons per hour below the calculated takeoff fuel burn rate. Recorded data from the two previous flights before the accident flight indicated that the No. 2 cylinder produced temperatures higher than the manufacturer’s maximum cylinder head temperature limit. Postaccident testing of the carburetor showed that the carburetor fuel flow rate was slightly higher than the specification and would not have contributed to detonation. It’s likely that the detonation occurred as a result of the reduced fuel flow and lean fuel to air mixture, however, the reason for the reduced fuel flow rate could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.