Cessna 182G accident near Clewiston, Florida, May 9, 2013
On May 9, 2013 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N2440R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Clewiston, Florida (Airglades airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The private pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and fuel management and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2013 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Clewiston, Florida · Airglades · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2440R · no longer on the register · serial 18255540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot/owner of the airplane and a flight instructor departed on a 90-minute flight, which included multiple practice takeoffs and landings at three different airports. When the airplane was at an altitude of about 2,000 feet mean sea level, it experienced a loss of engine power. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and noted that the right fuel tank gauge indicated "empty" and that the left fuel tank gauge indicated 25 percent full. He performed the "engine-out" emergency procedures; however, the engine continued to lose power, and he subsequently conducted a forced landing to a grass field. Postaccident examination of the airplane, which included an engine test run, did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Both fuel tanks were found intact. The right fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank contained about 7 gallons of uncontaminated fuel, which was only 2 gallons more than the reported usable fuel. The flight instructor stated that the engine continued to operate at low power during the forced landing; however, the lack of rotational damage on the propeller assembly was consistent with a total loss of engine power. Although the reported temperature and dew point about the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing at cruise power, given the low fuel state at the time of the power loss, it was more likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,270 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 4,880 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 228 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,906 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,964 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHK Pahokee FL
- Destination: 2IS Clewiston FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KOBE, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2440R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.