Cessna 402 N3278Q

Summary

On 20 June 2011 at about 18:40 local time, a Cessna 402 registered N3278Q, operated by Janes Denise M, was involved in an accident near Caldwell, Idaho, United States. 9 people were on board and 2 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

20 June 2011 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Caldwell, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Caldwell Independent Airport (KEUL)

Coordinates

43.6419, -116.6358

Aircraft

Cessna 402

Registration

N3278Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Janes Denise M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Caldwell → Caldwell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA269

2 people had minor injuries.

The total loss of power in one engine during takeoff due to the blockage of fuel flow by a foreign object in the fuel tank.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the skydiving airplane was performing the first takeoff of the day, and he had just raised the landing gear when the airplane experienced a complete loss of power in one of its two engines. There was still runway remaining, and the pilot made the decision to abort the takeoff. Because the airplane was at a very low altitude, the pilot was not sure that all three landing gear would fully extend before the airplane touched down. Therefore, he elected to keep the landing gear retracted, and the airplane touched down on the soft/rough terrain adjacent to the runway. Although no anomalies related to the engine were found, three pieces of poly-isoprene (synthetic rubber) were found in the fuel tank associated with the engine that lost power. Each individual piece was large enough to plug the orifice to the fuel boost pump, and it is likely that one or more of the pieces interrupted the fuel flow to the engine and resulted in the loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.