N756CE

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 16, 2001, approximately 2115 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TR182, N756CE, registered to a partnership and being flown by a private pilot, collided with terrain following a total loss of power and then a loss of control in flight during cruise/descent, approximately two nautical miles (nm) north of Dixie, Idaho. The pilot and passenger both sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed under dark night conditions, and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal and related to the pilot's business, was operated under 14CFR91, and had originated from the Fort Collins downtown airport (3V5), Fort Collins, Colorado, approximately 1745 mountain daylight time. The flight was destined for Boise (BOI), Idaho.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Form 8020-9 issued following the accident, the aircraft first appeared on radar at the Cheyenne VOR (CYS) 198 degree radial at 38 nautical miles (this position was approximately seven nm west northwest of the 3V5 airport). The aircraft was first noted at 1815 hours and was under flight following thereafter. At 2114 hours, the pilot radioed Salt Lake Air Route Traffic Control Center that he had "lost his engine" and was executing a forced landing. The aircraft crashed into moderately rolling, sage covered terrain that was sparsely populated. The landowner had initiated a controlled burn at the accident site earlier in the day, and reported numerous small embers and ignition sources scattered throughout the area of the crash site upon his arrival. There was no post crash aircraft related fire at the site.

On the morning of October 15th at the request of the pilot, a fueler at Conyan Aviation, Inc. (a fixed base operator used by the pilot at the Boise Air Terminal, Boise, Idaho) fueled the aircraft. The fueler was interviewed and provided a written statement (refer to attachments F-I and FS-I). He reported that he added 67.5 gallons of fuel (100 Low Lead) to the aircraft bringing the fuel amount up to within one-half inch below each fuel tank filler neck. The aircraft was then tugged back to its original tie-down spot. It was not known what time N756CE departed Boise. The pilot's wife reported that she expected her husband to be returning from Ft. Collins, Colorado, on October 16th.

The line attendant at the Ft. Collins Downtown airport (3V5) was interviewed and reported that following his arrival at 3V5 the pilot of N756CE requested that his aircraft be fueled with 30 gallons of 100LL fuel prior to noon on October 16th. The line attendant further reported that the pilot arrived at the airport just before noon on October 16th, and told the fueler to put 20 gallons of fuel in the right main tank and 10 gallons in the left. The fueler reported that after this was done, the right tank was full and the left tank was approximately three-quarters full (refer to attachment LA-I). Ft. Collins Downtown airport lies eight nm north of the Ft. Collins/Loveland Municipal airport (identifier FNL). The Ft. Collins Downtown airport has no secure area for transient overnight parking.

A fuel slip dated October 15th documented the purchase of 30.0 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel at the Fort Collins Downtown airport for aircraft N756CE in the amount of $82.50 (refer to attachment FS-III). This fuel receipt was supported by a credit card receipt provided by the pilot's family showing a fuel purchase from the Fort Collins Downtown airport on October 16th at 1712 hours mountain time. The Fort Collins Downtown airport daily fuel record sheet for October 15/16th showed that on October 16th N756CE was fueled with 30.0 gallons of fuel and that the truck meter read 366855.9 preceding the fueling and 366885.9 thereafter (refer to attachment FR-I).

Radar data assigned to a discreet transponder code of 1416 on the evening of October 16th, and recorded by the FAA's Salt Lake City (SLC) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) was reviewed (refer to attachment RD-I). The data showed the first target recorded at 1834:03. The target was reporting an altitude of 17,600 feet above mean sea level (MSL) and located at 41 degrees 26.300 minutes North latitude and 107 degrees 38.883 minutes West longitude (31 nm bearing 210 degrees magnetic from Rawlins, Wyoming).

Six targets recorded following the 1834:03 target and a seventh target (1835:10) showed the aircraft reporting an altitude of 17,600 feet MSL and at 41 degrees 26.883 minutes North latitude and 107 degrees 41.833 minutes West longitude (14,000 feet beyond and on a bearing 272 degrees magnetic from the first target).

The radar track recorded a target traveling westbound at 2016:00 at a location 7 nm south-southeast of the Pocatello Regional airport, Pocatello, Idaho, and another target traveling westbound at 2055:17 at a location 21 nm north of the Gooding Municipal airport, Gooding, Idaho. Both of these airports are open to the public, equipped with lighted runways, and provide general aviation fuel.

The last radar target recorded was at 2114:18 and was reporting an altitude of 6,900 feet (MSL). This target was 2, 750 feet bearing 161 degrees magnetic from the ground impact site. A review of the radar data showed the beginning of a descent from 10,100 feet MSL between the 2111:58 and 2112:21 targets and continuing through the last radar target. The last three radar targets showed a left hand turn with an estimated turn radius of 1,600 feet (refer to attachment RP-I).

Approximately 2112, N756CE contacted SLC ARTCC and radioed "Ah, we've got an engine out and we're gonna do an emergency landing right here." Several radio exchanges transpired during which the controller inquired as to whether the aircraft would make the intended airport for the landing. Approximately 60 seconds after the initial radio contact N756CE radioed in answer "Negative, we're gonna - we've got a field on fire here - might try to land there." Approximately 30 seconds later N756CE acknowledged executing an emergency checklist after an inquiry by the controller. No further radio communications were recorded.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate issued September 14, 1992, with airplane single-engine land and airplane instrument ratings. He received a third class medical certificate dated April 10, 2001, with the restriction that he "must wear corrective lenses." At the time of this last physical the pilot reported that he had a total of 3,400 hours of flight time.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N756CE, a Lycoming O-540-L3C5D powered aircraft with retractable landing gear was equipped with a single integral fuel tank in each wing. The capacity of each tank was 46 gallons of which 2 gallons was reported as unusable in the pilot operator handbook (total usable system fuel of 88 gallons - refer to attachment POH-I).

Additionally, the POH was reviewed for fuel consumption rates in the performance section (RPM range 2100/2200/2300/2400 RPM, temperature range -9/+11/+31 degrees C., and pressure altitudes of 2,000 feet through 20,000 feet in 2,000 foot increments). The highest fuel consumption noted was 15.2 gallons per hour (refer to attachment POH-II).

A notepad was recovered at the accident site containing a running columnar tally, which included dates (month/day format), origination point, destination point, numerical value noted in tenths (three significant figures minimum), and numerical value noted in tenths (two significant figures minimum), along with remarks (refer to attachment TT-I). There were twelve pages that were noted to be in consecutive order. The last line of data provided the following entry: "10/15 BOI FLN 38.4 blank IFR" and the line of data immediately prior provided the following entry: "10/1 06U BOI 35.4 blank IFR." The difference between the two numerical readings was noted to be 3.0.

The aircraft airframe log was reviewed and it was noted that the last annual inspection was signed off on May 1, 2001. The aircraft's recording tach time was logged as 3780.1 hours on that date and the aircraft's total airframe time was also logged as 3780.1 hours (refer to attachment AFL-I).

The eleventh page of the previously discussed notepad data contained the following entry: "5/3 BOI LGU 81.8 1.5 blank." The last three digits of the fourth column (81.8) were 1.7 hours past the last three digits of the aircrafts five-digit tach time at the previously cited annual inspection (3780.1).

The previously described notepad data also contained numerous references to fuel consumption, most of which were found within the first four pages. The gallons per hour (gph) fuel burn rates noted on these pages ranged from as low as 16 up to 19.0 gph (refer to attachment AFL-I).

METEOROLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

The 2055 mountain daylight surface weather observation for Mountain Home Air Force Base, bearing 210 degrees magnetic and 26 nm from the accident site reported the highest cloud deck as a broken layer 22,000 feet above the reporting station with a second broken deck at 15,000 feet. Surface winds were from 080 degrees magnetic at 12 knots and the visibility was 7 nm. Dark night environmental conditions prevailed. The owner of the agricultural property on which the aircraft crashed reported that on the afternoon of the accident he had initiated a controlled brush burn, which continued to burn into the evening. Numerous areas around the accident site showed burned brush and occasional areas still smoking the afternoon following the accident. Upper air atmospheric soundings for Denver, Colorado, Rawlins, Wyoming, and Boise, Idaho, taken at midnight on the night of the accident reported winds aloft at selected pressure altitudes/elevation (meters). Refer to attachments UA-I, II, and III.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The aircraft crashed in an area of moderately hilly ranchland...