Cessna 401 N408TE

Summary

On 18 September 2004 at about 07:39 local time, a Cessna 401 registered N408TE, operated by Telesys Transair Inc., was involved in an accident near New Century, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 September 2004 at 07:39

Classification

Accident

Location

New Century, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

New Centrury Air Center (IXD)

Coordinates

38.8311, -94.8903

Aircraft

Cessna 401

Registration

N408TE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Telesys Transair Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oklahoma City → Kansas City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI04LA264

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during approach to an alternate airport. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing, his flight into adverse weather, and the thunderstorm.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The on-demand cargo airplane was not operating on a flight plan when it impacted terrain during a visual approach to a second alternate airport. The pilot attributed both diversions to weather conditions associated with convective activity in the area of the destination airport. The pilot stated that during a visual approach to the second alternate airport, he encountered a "very strong" gust 25-50 feet above ground level that blew the airplane "well" to the left side of the runway. He attempted a go-around and applied full engine power but "it felt like" the engine(s) did not develop full power. The left main fuel tank was broken open and did not contain any fuel, and the right main fuel tank contained 27 gallons of fuel. Both fuel selectors were positioned to their respective auxiliary fuel tanks in which the left fuel tank contained 1.2 gallons of fuel and the right auxiliary fuel tank contained 0.5 gallons of fuel. The airplane was not equipped with weather detection equipment. The left engine propeller separated from the left engine displayed torsional bending and twisting where as the right propeller remained attached to the right engine and did not display evidence of torsional bending and twisting. There was no record that the pilot obtained a weather briefing or filed a flight plan prior to departure for the destination airport as required by company and Federal Aviation Regulations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.