N8WFCessna A185F · 1976

On June 12, 2024, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna A185F airplane, N8WF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Monument Hills, California. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he departed from Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC), Sacramento, California, with 70 gallons of fuel onboard for the flight to his home airport, Watts-Woodland Airport (O41), Woodland, California, a distance of about 20 nautical miles. About 5 miles from O41, he noticed a partial loss of engine power. He added power, with no response, and shortly thereafter the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by adjusting the mixture. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot turned to the south and performed a forced landing to a corn field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.

According to airplane recovery personnel, 30 gallons of blue liquid consistent with 100 low lead aviation fuel was recovered from the airplane. The recovery crew also noted that there were signs of fuel leaking from the airplane when they arrived at the accident site. Fuel samples taken from the fuel tanks were absent of water and debris.

Examination of the recovered wreckage revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or fuel-injected engine that would have precluded normal operation. Compression and internal continuity of the engine was established, and borescope examination of each cylinder revealed no anomalies. Continuity of the throttle, mixture, and propeller controls was confirmed, and each of the controls reached full travel when actuated by hand.

Continuity of the fuel system was established from both wings through the cockpit and to the engine. A functional test of the fuel selector valve and fuel shut-off valve was performed utilizing low-pressure air and revealed no anomalies. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed, and the sheer-shaft was found to be intact. The drive gears were inspected with a borescope and found to be undamaged and rotating properly. The fuel pump was disassembled to the extent necessary to inspect the fuel pump vanes and bypass valve, which appeared to be operating normally; the bypass valve ball and spring were intact. The throttle body with the fuel control unit was intact and undamaged. The unit was removed and operated on a test stand; there were no discrepancies noted that would have precluded normal operation.

The right ignition was an impulse-coupling equipped magneto. The impulse coupling appeared to operate normally, firing at or near top dead center. The left ignition was an electronic ignition and timing was not verified. All sparkplugs were removed and inspected and appeared to have normal wear with no abnormalities noted.

The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GI 275 multifunction display system that recorded engine data and flight parameters. Review of the engine data retrieved from unit revealed that the recorded time of the accident flight was about 29 minutes. Fuel quantity in the left fuel tank indicated about 33 gallons and fuel quantity in the right fuel tank was about 33 gallons at the time of departure. At the end of the recorded data, the unit indicated 18 gallons of fuel in the left tank and about 34 gallons of fuel in the right tank. There were no anomalies noted in the engine data or flight parameters. The last 20 seconds of recorded data showed that the fuel flow decreased from about 8 gallons per hour (gph) to .15 gph, and the engine speed decreased from 2,300 to 1,600 rpm.