Cessna 182 N5142D

Summary

On 4 July 2001 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N5142D, operated by Mid-American Sport Parachute Club, Inc., was involved in an accident near Taylorville, Illinois, 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

4 July 2001 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Taylorville, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.5203, -90.5693

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N5142D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mid-American Sport Parachute Club, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Taylorville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA193

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper procedure and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Additional factors included the carburetor icing and the corn crop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane nosed over in a cornfield during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported he released the parachutists at 10,100 feet msl over the drop zone and started the descent to the south due to better cloud clearances and to keep clear of company traffic. He reported that he applied carburetor heat before descending. At 3,000 - 4,000 feet msl, he applied throttle but there was no engine response. The pilot attempted the engine re-start procedures but without result. The pilot made a forced landing on a cornfield, and nosed over almost immediately after the main landing gear hit the ground. The airplane and engine examination revealed no preexisting anomalies. The engine was run and it ran normally except for some minor vibration. The vibration was attributed to both propeller blades being bent aft. The observed weather was: winds 360 degrees at 8 knots, sky clear, 10 miles visibility, temperature 86 degrees F, dewpoint 66 degrees F, altimeter 30.02. According to the Transport Canada "Carburetor Icing Graph", the existing weather conditions fell in the region of "Serious icing - descent power." The FAA issued Advisory Circular (AC) 20-113, "Pilot Precautions and Procedures To Be Taken In Preventing Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Induction System and Fuel System Icing Problems." The AC stated, "…the pilot should regularly use heat under conditions known to be conducive to atmospheric icing…" in order to prevent accidents due to induction system icing. One of the procedures to reduce the likelihood of induction system icing stated, "Heat should be applied for a short time to warm the induction system before beginning a prolonged descent with the engine throttled and left on during the descent. Power lever advancement should be performed periodically during descent to assure that power recovery can be achieved."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.