This happened the other day, right in my backyard pretty much, less then 20 miles away as the 182 flies. https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/ ... 950fa.html

Any comments, you C-182 fliers? Is leaving a fuel cap loose, or mis judging the amount of fuel needed to get to the next stop, a malfunction? Or maybe a stuck fuel sump drain? Don't get me wrong, I admire the way the pilot told the media exactly what he told them, and I will put his explanation in my tool box, if ever needed, (right up there along with, "there was too much air in the fuel tanks") and maybe my BS detector is set a bit too high. I do know he was fighting a strong headwind that day FWIW. More power to him anyway, that road is sparsely traveled, though the section he landed is hilly and curvy and not where I would choose to make a landing. Soda Springs was just 2 or 3 minutes away, then again, I'm not sure they sell fuel there (I don't pay attention to where Av gas is available, though I can tell you exactly how far the nearest mo gas is from the airport) The article does not make it clear if it was a dead stick, or just a precautionary landing. I do like the response from the county Sheriff's, as in allowing him to take off again, as they should have of course. Overall, a good outcome, "nothing going on here, go on about your business," and I wish him well.

Quit speculating on what might have happened and leave it be.

You'd want the same consideration from him, if rolls were reversed.

Fair enough, just curious is all. He pulled it off well, whatever it was

Yes, good job. Most precautionaries and forced landings, in my experience, were met with excellent cooperation from local authorizes when they were around. I had to be persuasive to keep over zealous fireman from foaming a non-burning Pawnee and had to use my AOPA legal services once, but those were exceptions.

More incidents, in my experience, led to fewer fatalities.

courierguy wrote:This happened the other day, right in my backyard pretty much, less then 20 miles away as the 182 flies. https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/ ... 950fa.html
,,,, I admire the way the pilot told the media exactly what he told them, and I will put his explanation in my tool box......

I didn't see in the linked article where the pilot was quoted.
IMHO the best thing you can say to the media (in almost all cases) is "no comment".

You mean you wouldn't say something like "there I was, at 20,000' inverted in a 3 g dive, when...."

Cary

Leaving the fuel cap off is not a malfunction. I bought a 182 that had a poorly installed fuel bladder. A really bad mechanic failed to install the outboard rear snap. So I had less fuel than I thought. Landed on I-80 near Wells NV, called triple A for roadside service(10 gallons of premium). The NHP let me take off from the freeway. They were happy to get rid of me. No reporters thank goodness.

Still feeling good about my early manufactured Monarch caps that have the flapper valve that seals. Been meaning to take a picture of how it will hold fuel from leaking in when the flap is seated. I have experience of flying around for a half hour without the cap and not losing a drop----the way they were meant to work. By the way, I have Fords that use the capless fill and they seem to work well and is kind of handy.

A newly-installed fuel nozzle at my airport has a collar right at the discharge end,
not sure what it's for except maybe to prevent sticking into a jet a filler or something.
A buddy of mine has Monarch caps on his C180, and the flapper tends to capture that collar--
he sez it makes it a real struggle to get the nozzle out.
Makes it a PITA to fill a 5 gallon can too-- collar's too big to fit down into the can filler.

A newly-installed fuel nozzle at my airport has a collar right at the discharge end

Mr Funnel to the rescue but seriously that collar is a pain. An Air Tractor driver that was here last year has a 180 with Monarchs and found out the hard way about that collar. He said he finally was able to get his pocket knife beside the nozzle and hold the flapper open enough to get back out. Anybody thought about grinding the collar off about midnight???

The pilot in that 182 was dang lucky.....had he flown just a short distance more, he'd have been in terrain that wouldn't have served well in a forced landing.

MTV