N5927B

On August 30, 2008, about 1750 central daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N5927B, recently purchased and operated by Skydive Kentucky, LLC, experienced a loss of engine power while on approach to land at Addington Field Airport (EKX), Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The airplane touched down short of the runway and was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 local skydive flight. The commercial-certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1726, from EKX.

The pilot stated that prior to his first skydive flight that day in the accident airplane, a total of 6.0 gallons of fuel were added to each fuel tank. He dipped each fuel tank after fueling using the provided dipstick, and determined each contained between 7.0 and 7.5 gallons usable fuel. The first skydive flight was uneventful and after landing, he began to secure the engine for fueling but was motioned by company personnel to keep the engine running, which he did. He also was verbally told he had enough fuel to take the second load of skydivers. The airplane remained on the ground 1 to 2 minutes with the engine running while the second load of skydivers boarded the airplane. He departed on his second flight and climbed to 11,000 feet, remaining at that altitude for 1 to 2 minutes for offloading. After offloading the skydivers, clouds precluded a descent in the immediate area. He maneuvered to an area clear of clouds, began descending, and proceeded towards EKX when the flight was below the clouds. When the flight was close to the traffic pattern, he descended to 2,000 feet. While flying at 2,000 feet, the engine quit. He simultaneously turned towards the runway entering base leg, and initiated emergency procedures using the checklist to restore engine power; the result was unsuccessful. After recognizing that he would be unable to land on the runway, he lowered the flaps 10 degrees and performed a forced landing in a corn field. The pilot also advised the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge that he felt pressure by the company to operate the airplane on two flights after adding 12 gallons of fuel.

According to the airplane operator, postaccident, a total of between 8.5 and 9.0 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane. Following recovery of the airplane, a replacement propeller was installed and the engine was started and found to operate normally.

FAA personnel reported the airplane operator was using an Owner's Manual for a 1956 Cessna 182 to operate the accident airplane, which is a 1957 Cessna 182A. The Owner's Manual used by the operator incorrectly indicated the total capacity of fuel in each fuel tank, the unusable fuel amount in each tank for straight and level flight, and the unusable fuel amount in each tank for all flight conditions. The correct Owner's Manual for the accident airplane indicates the unusable fuel amount in each tank for all flight conditions is 5.0 gallons, or 10 gallons total. The pilot stated that he was aware of the 10.0 gallons unusable fuel amount.

Testing to determine the accuracy of the fuel dipstick and calibration chart used by the pilot was performed with FAA oversight on the accident airplane placed in a normal ramp attitude. The testing revealed that with 2.0 gallons of fuel in each tank, the measured level in each tank was below the minimum level specified on the calibration card, i.e. there was no usable fuel. With 3.0 gallons fuel in each tank, the measured level in the left and right tanks correlated to the calibration card indicated 1/2 gallon usable and below the minimum specified level, respectively.