NTSB Identification: LAX99LA159.
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Accident occurred Tuesday, April 20, 1999 in SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/23/2000
Aircraft: Cessna R182, registration: N7317X
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.The pilot reported that he was about 6 miles northwest of the airport, returning to the airport for landing, the engine abruptly and completely ceased delivering power. The aircraft descended through a stratus cloud layer and broke out beneath a 900-foot ceiling. The pilot determined that the aircraft would not glide to the airport and made an emergency landing in an open field beside a highway. The right wing struck a sign during the landing. FAA inspectors reported that the engine fuel sump contained a clear fluid resembling water, and that the right-hand fuel tank sump drain had a threaded plug installed which precluded routine sampling of the tank for water.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The inadequate preflight inspection of the aircraft by the pilot-in-command which resulted in a loss of engine power due to water contamination in the fuel system. A factor in the accident was an improper maintenance alteration which disabled a fuel sump drain. Full narrative availableIndex for Apr1999 | Index of months