De Havilland DHC-6-200 N141PV

Summary

On 22 April 1992 at about 18:09 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6-200 registered N141PV, operated by Perris Valley Aviation Svcs, was involved in an accident near Perris, California, United States. 22 people were on board and 16 died, 6 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 April 1992 at 18:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Perris, California, United States

Nearest airport

Perris Valley (L65)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-6-200

Registration

N141PV

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Perris Valley Aviation Svcs

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92MA183

16 people died.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADVERTENT FEATHERING OF THE WRONG PROPELLER FOLLOWING AN ENGINE POWER LOSS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR TO ASSURE THAT THE PILOT WAS PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING IN THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WATER CONTAMINATION OF FUEL IN THE AIRPORT STORAGE TANKS, THE OPERATOR'S LACK OF FUEL QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES, IMPROPER FUEL SERVICING, IMPROPER PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT(S), AND EXCEEDING THE GROSS WEIGHT/FORWARD CG LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE GROUND LOADER HAD FUELED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE AIRPORT FUEL TRUCK. HE STATED THAT THE FLIGHT CREW DID NOT SUMP THE FUEL TANKS AFTER THEY WERE FUELED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER, THE RIGHT WING LOWERED TO ABOUT 90 DEG, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THEN FORWARD FUEL TANK, WHICH PROVIDES FUEL TO THE RIGHT ENGINE, WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN ABOUT 8 GALS OF A HEAVILY CONTAMINATED MIXTURE COMPOSED OF WATER, AN EMULSIFYING AGENT, AND BACTERIAL GROWTH. THE FUEL FROM THE AIRPORT FUEL TRUCK AND MAIN UNDERGROUND TANK CONTAINED THE SAME MIXTURE. FUEL HAD BEEN TRANSFERED FROM THE UNDERGROUND TANK TO THE TRUCK ON THE EVENING PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. THE LEFT PROPELLER CONTROL WAS FOUND SEIZED IN THE FEATHER POSITION; LEFT PROPELLER BLADES IN THE NEAR-FEATHER POSITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.