Witnesses: Observed The Airplane In A Rapid Descent With The Nose Pointed At The Ground

Location: Hackberry, LA Accident Number: CEN21LA121
Date & Time: February 2, 2021, 17:44 Local Registration: N4765N
Aircraft: Cessna 182Q Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On February 2, 2021, at 1744 central standard time, a Cessna 182, N4765N, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Hackberry, Louisiana. The private pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

According to a co-owner of the airplane, the private pilot had just bought a share of the accident airplane and was in the process of accumulating flight hours for complex and highperformance aircraft endorsements. He was in the back seat of the airplane the day before when the two accidents pilots were conducting a training flight. He stated that the private pilot completed the flight maneuvers well and he did not notice anything of concern.

According to the airplane broker, on the day of the accident the private pilot called to report that he had just completed a 1-hour flight in the accident airplane to satisfy the insurance policy requirements. The airplane departed from Southland Field Airport (UXL), Sulphur, Louisiana, about 1326 and terminated about 1436.

The recorded ADS-B data revealed that the airplane departed again at 1713 and proceeded south toward the Gulf coast. The data showed that the airplane maneuvered near the coast then proceeded north as the altitude and airspeed increased. The airplane reached about 4,500 ft above ground level (agl), as the airspeed decreased. The airplane began a slow descent, which increased rapidly until the final recorded point. In the last 12 seconds of recorded data, the airplane made a right turn and had descended about 3,200 ft.

Two witnesses were in close proximity to the accident site, but different locations, stated that they observed the airplane in a rapid descent with the nose pointed at the ground. They both observed the bottom of the airplane and did not notice any rotational movement.

The airplane impacted soft ground on an island about 1.5 nautical miles northeast of Hackberry. The initial impact crater extended about 15 ft deep and contained a majority of the airplane, to include the engine, propeller, fuselage, and empennage. A debris field that consisted of the wings and smaller airplane components extended about 40 yards from the crater.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure storage facility where an engine and airframe examination was completed under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The wings had separated from the fuselage and were crushed aft to the rear wing spar. The empennage was crushed and distorted. Flight control cable continuity was established for all flight control surfaces through tensile overload separations in several locations. The fuel selector valve was found positioned to feed from both fuel tanks. The engine sustained significant impact damage and was saturated with mud. The crankshaft sheared aft of the propeller flange. Two of the propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub and one blade was not recovered. The engine was unable to rotate through due to the impact damage.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov