ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 121681
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 10 April 2011 |
| Time: | 15:10 |
| Type: |  Cessna 182A Skylane |
| Owner/operator: | Paul Nadas |
| Registration: | N4810D |
| MSN: | 34910 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1958 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7816 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-470 L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Robert Newlon Airpark near Lesage, WV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Parachuting |
| Departure airport: | Huntington, WV (I41) |
| Huntington, WV (I41) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot flew four skydiving flights without refueling. On the last flight, after the skydivers exited the airplane, the pilot initiated a descent and the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot knew he could not make it back to the airport and made a forced landing to a gravel area. The airplane collided with a gravel mound and nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. According to the pilot, the airplane owner assisted him in fueling the airplane from a local fuel truck. The pilot said he used a ladder and started refueling the right wing with the owner manning the pump. While they were refueling the airplane, the owner asked the pilot if he was getting any fuel because the fuel meter was not running. They looked at the airplane's right main fuel tank and it appeared to be full. The pilot then added what he believed to be 10 gallons of fuel to the left main fuel tank. The pilot thought he had 37.5 gallons of fuel on board when he departed. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The examination also did not reveal any evidence of usable fuel. Additionally, examination of the airplane rubberized bladder type fuel cells located on the inboard bay of each wing panel revealed the snap fasteners normally used to prevent the collapse of the flexible cells were not installed and wrinkling of the bladder was noted. The fuel bladders were replaced about 5 years prior to the accident. It is possible that due to the wrinkling of the right fuel bladder, the pilot may not have had the fuel that he expected when the tank was topped off.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the improper installation of snap fasteners to the rubberized type fuel cells which resulted in wrinkling of the fuel bladders and incorrect fuel quantity for the flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Apr-2011 12:08 | gerard57 | Added |
| 11-Apr-2011 13:50 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 16:51 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation