Cessna 182 N58469

Summary

On 23 July 1990 at about 23:20 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N58469, operated by James Whittington, JR, was involved in an accident near Sanford, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 1990 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanford, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.4695, -79.1807

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N58469

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James Whittington, JR

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilmington → Winston Salem

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL90LA148

Nobody was injured.

THE FAILURE OF THE NO.1 PISTON, FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS, THE FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CRUISING AT 4000 FEET THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ESTABLISHED A CIRCULAR PATTERN TO A COTTOM FIELD. AS HE DESCENDED THROUGH 3500 FEET SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING AND SOME CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AREA. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO THE FIELD, BUT FAILED TO EXTEND THE WING FLAPS. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER ABOUT 300 FEET FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A 6 INCH HOLE IN THE ENGINE CASE BETWEEN THE NO. 1 AND THE NO.3 CYLINDERS. THE NO. 1 PISTON HAD DISINTEGRATED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION FAILED TO DETERMINE THE MODE OF THE PISTON FAILURE. THE OWNER CONFIRMED THAT A TOP OVERHAUL HAD BEEN COMPLETED ABOUT 500 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE OWNER HAD NOT ENSURED THAT ALL MAINTENANCE ENTRIES WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT FARS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.