Cessna 182A N174A accident near Ocala, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to depart on the flight with known electrical issues and his subsequent loss of situational awareness (geographic position), which resulted in his eventual decision to perform an off-airport landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he departed from his home during the afternoon and flew to another airport where he refueled the airplane. While there he encountered problems operating his airplane’s avionics and lights. He then asked another pilot if he could follow him back in the direction of his home airport. After departing, he lost sight of the other airplane and could not contact the other pilot using his radio. As night fell and it became dark, he was unable to determine his location stating he “lost [his] way.” He felt that he was low on fuel and needed to land. He saw a road and decided to perform a precautionary landing. The pilot was unable to recall the events that transpired after that point, but during the landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA199 for the full record.