N8880T

On November 30, 2023, at 1513 central standard time, a Cessna 182C, N8880T, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that during the preflight she noted there was about 45 gallons of fuel onboard. After a normal run-up, the airplane departed from Sheboygan County Memorial airport (SBM). After flying for about an hour, when the airplane was about 6 miles from the Manitowoc County airport (MTW) at an altitude of about 3,000 ft above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. The pilot then made a turn towards MTW to attempt to land at the airport. The airplane was unable to maintain sufficient altitude and the pilot elected to make a forced landing in a wooded area about 2 miles south of MTW. The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that responded to the accident site stated that the fuel tanks were breached but there was evidence of fuel on scene.

The airplane was retained for further examination.