Cessna 402A N402NA

Summary

On 8 July 2000 at about 09:10 local time, a Cessna 402A registered N402NA, operated by Saber Cargo Airlines, Inc., was involved in an accident near Del City, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2000 at 09:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Del City, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.9297, -105.2000

Aircraft

Cessna 402A

Registration

N402NA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Saber Cargo Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denton → El Paso

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW00LA204

Nobody was injured.

the total loss of engine power on both engines during cruise due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper use of the fuel selectors. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At 11,000 feet, the left engine lost power when the pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector from the left main fuel tank to the left auxiliary fuel tank. The pilot stated that he was unable to restart the left engine after several attempts despite 'intensive trouble shooting' as per the checklist, and was unable to feather the left propeller during securing procedures. The pilot stated he used all the remaining fuel in the right tip tank, left tip tank, and the right auxiliary tank, and while descending to land, the right engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot initiated a forced landing, and the airplane landed gear-up in high desert terrain. The pilot stated that upon landing he relocated the right engine's fuel selector to the off position in an effort to prevent a fire. After the accident, an FAA inspector found the fuel selectors for the left and right engines in the main and off positions, respectively. Usable fuel was found in both the left and right auxiliary fuel tanks. The pilot had a total of 15 flight hours in the accident airplane make and model, which included the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.