| Crash location | 40.751667°N, 95.413611°W |
| Nearest city | Shenandoah, IA
40.765553°N, 95.372210°W 2.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N3772D |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 02 Oct 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 182A |
| Additional details: | None |
On October 2, 2003, at 2100 central daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N3772D, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Shenandoah Municipal Airport (SDA), Shenandoah, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial pilot reported minor injuries. The pilot-rated passenger reported serious injuries. The flight departed Coles County Memorial Airport (MTO), near Mattoon, Illinois, at 1820.
According to the pilot's written statement, during cruise flight at 6,500 feet mean sea level, the engine "popped" twice and lost engine power. The pilot stated he tried to restart the engine several times. He reported he "went through the flow checks and restart procedures all the way until impact never admitting to ourselves that the engine was not going to restart." The pilot stated the pilot-rated passenger had SDA in sight and tried to make an emergency landing at the airport. The pilot reported they realized they "were not going to make the airport about a quarter mile out and prepared to ditch." The pilot reported they touched down in a cornfield and subsequently impacted a ditch. The pilot stated that the nose, nose gear, and right wing were separated from the airplane. The pilot also stated there was substantial damage to the cockpit, dash and windshield.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane subsequent to the accident. The inspector reported the right wing was separated from the aft attach point, but not completely detached from the airplane. Approximately five gallons of fuel was strained from the left tank. The fuel tank strainer and fittings were pulled from the right wing. The strainer was destroyed, but had no signs of blockage previous to the accident. No fuel was observed in the right tank or in the fuel inlet line of the carburetor. The fuel selector was on the left tank. The airframe and engine were examined and no preexisting anomalies were found.
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason during cruise and the unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. The factors to the accident were the dark night, the corn crop, and the ditch.