NTSB Factual Report

On May 27, 2018, about 1420 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N5700B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Aberdeen, Idaho. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight originated from the Reno-Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada, at 1000 Pacific daylight time with an intended destination of Blackfoot, Idaho.

The pilot reported that during cruise flight, they encountered deteriorating weather along their route and decided to initiate a 180° turn to the right toward Pocatello, Idaho, at an altitude of about 2,000 feet above ground level. As the turn was completed, the engine began to sputter and partially lose power. The pilot stated that he established best glide speed while troubleshooting the engine by advancing the mixture to full rich and verifying the fuel selector valve was set to both. Despite his attempts, the engine would not regain power and he initiated a forced landing to a freshly plowed field. During the landing roll, the nose gear of the airplane dug into the dirt and the airplane nosed over.

Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.