NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On May 3, 2015, about 1433 eastern daylight time, N6579M, a Cessna 182P, was destroyed when it impacted terrain and livestock near Mulberry, Tennessee. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Winchester Municipal Airport (BGF), Winchester, Tennessee, about 1413 central daylight time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

A friend of the pilot stated that she had hiked earlier in the day with her children and had planned to go for a short pleasure flight in the afternoon.

A handheld Garmin 396 GPS was located in the wreckage and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for download. Eighty-one fights were downloaded from the unit. Although date and time were unable to be converted accurately, the final flight matched the accident flight but had an hour difference in the time recorded and the time of the accident. Plus, there was a 20 year and one day difference in date recorded and date of the accident. The accident flight was recorded starting at 1313:04 and ending at 1333:54 on May 4, 1995.

A review of the data revealed that the after the airplane departed Winchester to the south, it made a right turn toward the west north-west and climbed to 3,400 ft mean sea level (msl). At 1332:59, the airplane was still on a west-northwest heading but had descended to 2,866 ft msl at a groundspeed of 122 knots. Over the next minute, the airplane momentarily slowed down to 118 knots before it entered a controlled descent from which it did not recover. During the last 10 seconds of recorded data, the airplane descended from 1,473 ft msl to 822 ft msl, and increased ground speed from 133 knots to 144 knots on a heading of about 261 degrees before the data ended. The elevation at the accident site was 769 ft msl, so the last GPS data point was about 53 ft above ground level (agl).

There were no witnesses to the accident and the airplane wreckage was located the following morning by a ranch-hand at 0822.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot, age 45, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane and a third class medical issued on August 6, 2012, with no limitations. The pilot's logbook was not recovered for examination. At the time of her last medical, she reported a total of 200 flight hours.

AIRCRAFT INOFRMATION

The four-seat, high-wing, single-engine airplane was manufactured in 1975. It was powered by a Continental Motors Incorporated O-470 engine equipped with a McCauley constant-speed propeller. A review of the aircraft maintenance logbooks revealed that last annual inspection was conducted on October 1, 2014, at an aircraft total time of 4,881.0 hours. The engine and propeller were also examined on this date. At the time of the annual inspection, the engine had accrued a total of 1,041.7 hours since major overhaul and the propeller had accrued 1,036.0 hours since major overhaul.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Weather at Winchester Municipal Airport, at 1435, was reported as wind from 210 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 26 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 7 degrees Celsius, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

A postaccident, on-scene examination revealed the airplane collided with a stand of 70-foot-tall hackberry trees with its right wing tip before it impacted the ground, another stand of hackberry trees and four cows. The airplane then traveled a short distance and came to rest in a cattle pond. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site and there was no evidence of in-flight or post-impact fire.

Both wings sustained extensive impact damage and separated from the airframe in two sections. These sections of the wings came to rest near the base of the second stand of hackberry trees. This was also the area where the cattle were located. The right wing tip exhibited more aft crushing to the leading edge than the left wing.

The main wreckage, which consisted of the cockpit, fuselage, empennage and tail control surfaces came to rest in the shallow cattle pond. The engine had separated from the firewall. The main wreckage sustained extensive impact damage.

The cattle pond was drained and the wreckage was removed and taken to a salvage facility where a layout examination was conducted on May 6, 2015.

Examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity for all major flight control surfaces from the control surface to the cockpit. The elevator trim tab actuator was overextended from impact forces and the flap actuator was in the fully retracted position. Both fuel caps for each wing were in place and secure to their respective fuel ports. Numerous breaks in the fuel system between the engine and fuel tanks were observed due to impact. The fuel selector was in the "both" position. The gascolator remained attached to the firewall and was disassembled. The bowl had some water and sediment from the cattle pond and the fuel screen was absent of debris.

No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident.

The engine sustained impact damage, with more of the damage being concentrated on the right side. The right side cylinders were crushed and the push rods and rocker arms were distorted. As a result, the engine could not be rotated more than 45 degrees. However, when the engine was rotated, continuity to the accessory gears was observed. The oil sump was pushed up into the bottom of the engine. It was removed so the camshaft could be exposed. The camshaft was intact and no mechanical anomalies were noted. Both magnetos had separated from the accessory case. They were water-soaked and spark could not be produced at the terminals; however, both units were disassembled and no mechanical anomalies were noted. The oil filter remained attached to the engine. It was removed and opened to expose the filter. The filter was absent of any debris.

The propeller governor also remained on the engine. It was removed and disassembled. No anomalies were noted.

The spark plugs were removed and exhibited normal wear when compared to the Champion spark plug wear chart.

Examination of the carburetor revealed the throttle/mixture lever and actuator pump moved freely.

The 2-bladed propeller had separated from the engine and was found near the wing sections. Both blades were loose in the hub. One blade exhibited leading edge and front face gouging and scoring. The blade was bent aft and was curled at the tip. There were nicks in the trailing edge as well. The second blade exhibited front-face and leading edge polishing, and was bent aft. A section of the blade-tip was missing.

No mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORAMTION

An autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Center for Forensic Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, on May 5, 2015. The cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was an accident.

Toxicological testing was conducted by the FAA's Toxicological Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results were negative for all items tested.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to recover from a controlled descent for reasons that could not be determined during the postaccident investigation.