CEN16LA235

Factual narrative

On June 26, 2016, about 1545 central daylight time, a Cessna 182, N5792B, collided with the terrain during a forced landing in a corn field south of the Greater Kankakee Airport (IKK), Kankakee, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Jacquin Aviation, Inc., as a skydiving flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from IKK about 1515.The pilot reported the accident occurred on the 4th flight of the day. He dropped the skydivers and returned to the airport lining up to land on runway 16, which he had previously used. During the approach, the pilot noticed the wind direction had changed and he now had a tailwind. The pilot initiated a go-around from an altitude of about 200 ft above ground level. He raised the flaps to 30°and advanced the throttle. He reported there was an initial surge in power, then the engine stopped developing power. The pilot made a right turn and landed the airplane in a corn field on the south side of the airport. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector arrived on scene as the pilot was draining the fuel from the airplane. The pilot drained about 7 gallons of fuel from the airplane. The FAA inspector stated there was some fuel in the carburetor bowl when he removed the plug, but the gascolator was empty. No other anomalies were noted which would have resulted in a loss of engine power. The pilot reported he used the carburetor heat during the landing approach and turned it off when he initiated the go-around. The pilot speculated that the low level of fuel most likely unported during his rapid spiraling descent after dropping the skydivers which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine. The commercial pilot reported that, after dropping off skydivers, he made a rapid spiraling descent back to the airport. The pilot added that, because the wind had changed such that it resulted in a tailwind, he initiated a go-around during the landing approach; however, when he advanced the throttle, the engine initially surged and then lost power. The pilot made a forced landing in a corn field near the end of the runway. After the accident, the pilot drained about 7 gallons of fuel from the airplane. Fuel was present in the carburetor, but the gascolator bowl was empty. No other anomalies were noted. It is likely that the low level of fuel unported during the rapid spiraling descent, which led to the subsequent fuel starvation to the engine. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C