N3122C

On July 22, 1996, at 1810 central daylight time a Cessna 180, N3122C, collided with a parked automobile and a fence, and was substantially damaged following a forced landing near Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was not filed for the cross country flight. The flight departed Griffin-Spalding County Airport, Griffin, Georgia at 1630 eastern daylight time.

According to the FAA inspector, the pilot was cleared to land on runway 27 at Memphis International Airport. About 1 1/2 miles to the east of the airport the pilot reported a loss of engine power. The pilot made a forced landing in a parking lot and collided with an automobile and a fence before coming to rest. The airplane received damage to the wings, fuselage, and right horizontal stabilizer. An inspection by the FAA inspector revealed that the gascolator was missing, and the required safetywire for the gascolator was not found. The last inspection of the engine was done during the annual inspection in July of 1995. The aircraft had been flown 86 hours since the annual inspection.