Cessna 180K N13159

Summary

On 14 June 2021 at about 12:52 local time, a Cessna 180K registered N13159 was involved in an accident near Columbus, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one 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

14 June 2021 at 12:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

40.0795, -83.0732

Aircraft

Cessna 180K

Registration

N13159

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → North Bass Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA265

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from sealant contamination in the wing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight at 1,000 ft above ground level when the engine sputtered. As the pilot executed a 180° turn toward the airport, the engine lost all power. The pilot also reported that the radios lost power. The airplane impacted trees in a heavily wooded area short of the open field and sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage during the forced landing. The airplane had undergone numerous modifications, including a change from bladder fuel tanks to integral fuel tanks in the wings. Four days before the accident, a mechanic had drained the left wing of fuel and resealed it with a sealant. The wing was then refueled, and leak checked. Postaccident examination showed sealant contamination in the left fuel tank, varying in size up to 1 inch. The sealant was not adhering to the inside of the wing tank. Although the fuel screens were found unobstructed, due to the size and number of the sealant pieces fuel flow from the left tank could likely have been obstructed, resulting in a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.