Cessna 402C N371R

Summary

On 5 August 2003 at about 15:20 local time, a Cessna 402C registered N371R was involved in an incident near Arecibo, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 August 2003 at 15:20

Classification

Incident

Location

Arecibo, United States

Nearest airport

Arecibo Airport (ABO)

Coordinates

18.4500, -66.6750

Aircraft

Cessna 402C

Registration

N371R

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Lauderdale → St. Thomas

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03IA157

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate in-flight decision, and his failure to refuel, which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while at an altitude of 9,500 feet, in the vicinity of Grand Turk, he noticed the airplane's fuel gauges fluctuating over a 60 gallon range. He said he continued the flight with confidence in his flight planning, and about 40 nautical miles from Isla Grande Airport the right engine sputtered. The pilot said he turned the fuel pumps on, checked the fuel pressure, and noted zero on the fuel quantity indicator, so he selected fuel from the left tank. He said he was also reading a low pressure for the left engine. After climbing to 11,500 feet, about 35 miles from Isla Grande Airport the left engine ceased operating. The right engine then ceased operating a short time after, and the pilot said he feathered both propellers, declared an emergency, and diverted to the Arecibo Airport. He then switched the fuel selector from left tank to right tank, and was able to restart the right engine, and fly toward the shore, and then the right engine ceased operating. About two nautical miles north of the Arecibo Airport, at 6,000 feet and descending, the pilot said he got the left engine operating again. He said he then extended the landing gear, entered a right crosswind, extended full flaps on a right downwind, and landed on runway 08. After off-loading his passengers, the pilot said he was debriefed by an FAA inspector, who issued him a ferry permit to operate the airplane. The pilot then purchased fuel and ferried the airplane to Borinquen Airport where he "topped the tanks" with additional fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.