CESSNA TR182 — Midland, TX

What happened

The commercial pilot took off from the airport in the airplane with three passengers on board. The pilot reported that, during the takeoff and while crossing the departure end of the runway, the engine began to lose power. The pilot managed to climb and level off the airplane about 40 ft above ground level. The airplane would not maintain altitude, so he conducted a wheels-up landing in a field. The passengers reported that, during the forced landing, the airplane struck a rock and stopped suddenly. The pilot sustained serious injuries and died 24 days after the accident.

Postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity. An examination of the turbocharger revealed that the wastegate actuating cable was frayed and kinked at both ends. When the throttle was advanced, the cable bound. The bypass valve's actuator arm was corroded, and the bolt and nut used to fasten the actuator cable to the arm were seized and corroded. An examination of the single-driven dual magneto revealed that both sides had improper ignition timing. A subsequent examination revealed that the points were worn. During a bench test, the magneto operated normally. Because the engine was test run successfully with the wastegate cable, bypass valve actuator, and magneto in place, it is unlikely that they directly caused the partial loss of engine power. However, the role they might have played in the power loss could not be determined.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.