N6266ECessna 182R · 1983

On March 16, 2023, about 1610 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 182R airplane, N6266E, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Minto, Alaska. The pilot and passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that they departed from the Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) Fairbanks, Alaska, to conduct a cadet orientation flight. En route to Minto Airport (51Z), Minto, Alaska, the engine loss partial power. The pilot pulled the carburetor heat on and the engine began to run normally. The pilot left the carburetor heat on for the remainder of the flight. On short final for landing at 51Z, the engine had a total loss of power. The airplane landed short of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the engine mount.

An undetermined amount of fuel was drained from both wings during recovery operations. An engine examination was performed by a National Transportation Safety Board investigator after the accident. The engine started normally and responded to throttle inputs with normal cylinder head temperature and exhaust gas temperature indications. The magneto check was completed and both magnetos were fully operational. The carburetor heat control was functional and fully operational. Air intake and exhaust connections were secure, undamaged, and no blockages were observed. Thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders. The carburetor heat control and box was removed from the carburetor and inspected with no anomalies noted. The bottom spark plugs were removed from the engine and no anomalies were observed with the electrodes. Fuel was collected from the sump drain and carburetor bowl and no evidence of water was found. The examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The airplane was not in the temperature region of possible carburetor icing. Reported weather at the accident site was a temperature of 6.8 F with a dew point of -9.4 F.