Cessna 182 N148LP accident near Patterson, Louisiana

Probable cause

The mechanic’s failure to properly secure the throttle arm rendering it loose and inoperable after takeoff, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, the engine would not respond to throttle inputs. The engine then went to idle without pilot input, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a marsh. During the forced landing, the airplane nosed over and was substantially damaged.

Postaccident examination of the airplane found that the nut used to properly secure the throttle control to the fuel servo was loose. The associated cotter pin was not located. The pilot reported that the airplane’s most recent maintenance occurred on April 1, 2021. The mechanic likely did not install the cotter pin at that time. The accident airplane flew about 438 hours between that date and the accident date. During that time, the nut likely loosened until the throttle control was no longer secured, resulting in a total loss of engine power during the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA358 for the full record.