Cessna 182Q N812KT accident near Virginia Beach, Virginia

Probable cause

A total loss of power due to water contamination in the fuel. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

NTSB analysis

On the morning of the accident, an annual inspection had been completed on the airplane. After picking up the airplane from his maintenance provider, the pilot preflighted the airplane and then departed. The takeoff and climb were uneventful; however, during the cruise portion of the flight, a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot initiated an emergency descent and landed the airplane in a field that was used for sporting events. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear wheel dug into the ground, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the fuel system revealed the presence of water in the fuel selector valve and the electric fuel boost pump discharge line. The pilot advised that the last time that he had added fuel to the airplane was 16 days before the accident flight. When he would park the airplane in the hangar at his home airport, he would not top off the fuel tanks, and the airplane would sit with approximately 30 gallons of fuel in the tanks. When asked if he had drained the sumps of the airplane during the preflight inspection prior to the accident flight, he advised that he did not because he was in a hurry.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA466 for the full record.