Cessna 401 N401TE

Summary

On 18 June 2010 at about 21:03 local time, a Cessna 401 registered N401TE, operated by Global Data Aviation, was involved in an accident near Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 2010 at 21:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM)

Coordinates

41.9261, -70.7006

Aircraft

Cessna 401

Registration

N401TE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Global Data Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plymouth → Plymouth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA317

3 people were seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power during final approach due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s delayed configuration of the airplane for landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was returning from a 3-hour aerial mapping mission and was lined up for a straight-in, 5-mile final approach for landing. About 3 miles out on final approach, and prior to performing the before-landing check, both engines stopped producing power in sequence, one almost immediately after the other. The pilot said that by the time he completed his remedial actions the airplane had descended to about 200 feet above the ground and the engines would not restart. The auxiliary fuel tank gauges were bouncing between 2-5 gallons and the main tanks were bouncing around at 25 gallons per side. The pilot then selected a forced landing site between two large trees and landed the airplane in heavily wooded terrain. A detailed examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies. According to information contained in the aircraft manufacturer’s owner's manual, the auxiliary fuel tanks are designed for cruising flight and are not equipped with pumps; operation near the ground (below 1000 feet) using auxiliary fuel tanks is not recommended. The first step in the before-landing check was to select the main fuel tanks on both the left and right fuel selectors, respectively. The pilot indicated that he should have selected the main tanks sooner and performed the before-landing check earlier in the approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.