Cessna 182P N9901M

Summary

On 17 February 1996 at about 00:15 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N9901M was involved in an accident near New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were 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

17 February 1996 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.0092, -90.0604

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N9901M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW96LA122

Nobody was injured.

The pilot not following procedures and directives in that he did not periodically clear the engine during an extended glide. The factors were carburetor icing weather conditions and lack of suitable terrain for landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot made a gliding approach to land from 3,500 feet MSL with the power set at 1500 to 1700 RPM and the carburetor heat on. The pilot reported to the investigator-in-charge that while descending through the first 3,000 feet that he did not clear the engine. The pilot recounted that the RPM began 'falling off', and when he increased the throttle, the RPM did not rise. The pilot performed a forced landing, but due to 'dusky conditions and slight haze', the pilot did not see a levee wall which the right wing impacted while in the landing flare. There was a temperature inversion at the time of the accident, with ground level humidity of 22% and a humidity of 49% at 5,000 feet. The FAA Flight Training Handbook states in the section under 'Descents (Maximum Distance Glides)' that during 'power-off descents, the engine should be cleared periodically to prevent excessive cooling and fouling.' The engine was test run on the airframe. According to the manufacturer, who performed the test run, the engine 'startup was immediate, and the engine ran smoothly.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.