N14YYCessna 182P · 1972

On February 20, 2024, at 1312 central standard time, a Cessna 182P, N14YY, was involved in an accident near Marks, Mississippi. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight.

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to position the airplane after it had been purchased by its new owner. The pilot stated that that before the accident flight, he flew the airplane with the previous owner to get familiar with the airplane. The pilot said there were no issues with the airplane during the familiarization flight. He planned to fly to Panola County Airport (PMU), Batesville, Mississippi, to refuel.

The pilot stated while en route to PMU, he had to twice add a couple notches of rudder trim because the airplane was tracking to the left. About 30 nautical miles (nm) from PMU, the pilot switched the fuel selector from BOTH to LEFT, and about one minute later, the engine exhibited signs of fuel starvation. The pilot then switched the fuel selector back to BOTH and the engine regained power. About 13 nm from PMU, he again switched the fuel selector to LEFT, and the engine again exhibited signs of fuel starvation. He then switched the fuel selector to BOTH knowing there was good fuel flow in the BOTH position. He decided to divert to Selfs Airport (MMS), Marks, Mississippi, to not run out of fuel.

The pilot stated that on his first attempt to land at MMS, he had difficulty maintaining a straight descent to runway 2. Upon touchdown, the airplane immediately turned left, so he added engine power for a go-around. While trying to line up again for runway 2, he could not maintain a normal straight in approach. He said that it appeared there was no rudder control. When the airplane touched down, the airplane turned to the left and he performed another go-around. The pilot said during the last landing attempt, he was fighting the airplane and had to land because he was expecting a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The airplane then impacted terrain off the runway edge and was destroyed by impact forces.

A witness video showed the airplane approach and attempt landings on runway 2 at high speed with the nose yawed left and with the flaps retracted before impact with the ground. The approaches were unstabilized, and the airplane’s attitude was uncoordinated. The engine was operating during the approaches.

Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed that the wing fuel tank caps were Monarch Fuel Caps that were installed under a supplemental type certificate. The left fuel cap did not allow air to be drawn in when suction was applied to the bottom of the cap. The right fuel cap allowed air to be drawn in when suction was applied to the bottom of the cap.

The left and right wing bladder tanks were attached, secured, and exhibited no wrinkles. There was no debris in the left and right wing bladder tanks. The left and right wing forward and aft fuel line outlet screens were unobstructed. Shop air was blow into the left and right wing forward and aft fuel outlets and air exited the gascolator outlet, which was consistent with no blockage and a fuel selector position of BOTH. The gascolator screen and bowl did not contain debris.

The fuel lines leading to and exiting the fuel selector assembly were attached and secure. The fuel selector handle was broken off from the fuel selector input shaft consistent with impact damage. The fuel selector valve position was confirmed to be in the BOTH position. The fuel selector operated with no binding/sticking, and detents were felt through each of the LEFT, RIGHT, BOTH, and OFF positions.

The wing flaps and the cockpit wing flap indicator were in the fully retracted position. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the control surfaces to the cockpit controls.

The cockpit rudder trim indicator exhibited damage consistent with impact and was off its scale. The indicator tip was in the full nose right stop. The rudder trim/nose wheel bungee sprocket was nearly fully rotated to its full nose left trim stop.

The pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating in 1975. A review of the pilot’s logbook, which had its first entry dated May 12, 2022, and its last entry dated January 23, 2024, showed that he accumulated at total flight time of 427.8 hours in all aircraft. He had no entries for flights in a Cessna 182 during this logbook period. The pilot stated on National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, form 6120.1, that he accumulated a total flight time in the accident airplane make and model 9 hours and 4 hours the past 90 days and 4 hours in the past 30 days.