Cessna 180A N185F

Summary

On 27 October 1995 at about 00:23 local time, a Cessna 180A registered N185F was involved in an accident near Goose Lake, Iowa, 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

27 October 1995 at 00:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Goose Lake, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.9590, -90.3809

Aircraft

Cessna 180A

Registration

N185F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Peoria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI96LA020

Nobody was injured.

inadequate maintenance, inadequate preflight by the pilot, and a loose fuel tank cap that allowed siphoning of fuel, buckling of the right fuel bladder, fuel exhaustion, and loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, and the soft terrain and crop in the emergency landing area.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT/OWNER WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE RIGHT FUEL TANK BLADDER. AFTER BEING EN ROUTE FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 50 MINUTES, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND WAS DAMAGED. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED A WRINKLED RIGHT BLADDER FUEL TANK AND A FUEL STAIN AFT OF THE LEFT FUEL CAP. VERY LITTLE FUEL WAS FOUND ONBOARD. FOUR GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE LEFT TANK AND THE ENGINE RAN SUCCESSFULLY. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN MODIFIED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC) SA4121SW. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO MAINTENANCE ENTRY IN THE AIRPLANE'S LOGBOOK REGARDING THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED TO COMPLY WITH ALL CONDITIONS OF THE STC. CESSNA SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) SEB88-1 WAS APPLICABLE TO THE STC. AN INSTRUCTION OF THE SB WAS ' . . . TO ADD A STRIP OF FOAM SEAL AROUND THE WING STRUT UNDER THE UPPER STRUT CUFF. THIS SEALING PREVENTS AIR FLOWING INSIDE THE CUFF AND DISRUPTION OF PROPER FUEL VENTING DUE TO VORTEX GENERATION FORWARD OF THE VENT TUBE . . .' THE SB ALSO NOTED THAT EXCESSIVE GAPS BETWEEN THE WING STRUT AND STRUT CUFF COULD CAUSE FUEL BLADDER TANK WRINKLING, UNSNAPPING AND INACCURATE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.