Cessna 182 N759AC accident near Fire Island, New York

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight about 1,200 ft mean sea level when the engine started to lose power. He checked the fuel selector mixture control positions were correct, but the engine experienced a total loss of power. He applied carburetor heat and attempted to restart the engine. When he was unable to restore engine power, he performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing roll, the airplane contacted a hump in the sand, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Based on the temperature and dew point about the time of the accident, the conditions were favorable for serious carburetor icing at a glide power settings. Given that the pilot reported that the airplane was is in cruise flight when the loss of engine power occurred, it is unlikely that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor icing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA017 for the full record.