Narrative:
The airplane was flown to Bangor, ME (BGR) on August 11 for the installation of two auxiliary fuel tanks. The installation took place on August 12 and 13, and the pilot flew the airplane to Manchester, NH (MHT) where the auxiliary fuel tanks were filled. After takeoff from Manchester, as the airplane passed through about 800 to 900 feet, the pilot smelled turbine fuel. He stopped the climb and attempted to locate the source of the fumes. He could not identify the source of the fumes and requested radar vectors to the closest airport and initiated a descent. He then noticed about 1 inch of standing fuel on the floor of the cabin, and turned off the radios. During the descent, the amount of fuel in the cockpit area continued to increase, so the pilot elected to land in an open field rather than continue toward the airport. Due to fuel fumes and raw fuel in the cockpit, the pilot's vision was blurred, his eyes burned, and he had difficulty breathing. He positioned the airplane for landing into the wind. On final approach, the fuel was up over his ankles and his sectional charts were floating on top of the fuel. After touchdown, the airplane passed through a ditch. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. A post-crash fire destroyed the plane.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "An inadequate auxiliary fuel tank installation which resulted in a leak of undetermined origin."
Forced landing outside airport
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 13 August 1999 |
| Time: | 13:11 |
| Type: |  Cessna 208 Caravan I |
| Operator: | Greystoke Engineering Inc |
| Registration: | N193GE |
| MSN: | 20800193 |
| First flight: | 1990 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6132 |
| Engines: | 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Hillsborough, NH ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Manchester Municipal Airport, NH (MHT/KMHT), United States of America |
| Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), United States of America |
The airplane was flown to Bangor, ME (BGR) on August 11 for the installation of two auxiliary fuel tanks. The installation took place on August 12 and 13, and the pilot flew the airplane to Manchester, NH (MHT) where the auxiliary fuel tanks were filled. After takeoff from Manchester, as the airplane passed through about 800 to 900 feet, the pilot smelled turbine fuel. He stopped the climb and attempted to locate the source of the fumes. He could not identify the source of the fumes and requested radar vectors to the closest airport and initiated a descent. He then noticed about 1 inch of standing fuel on the floor of the cabin, and turned off the radios. During the descent, the amount of fuel in the cockpit area continued to increase, so the pilot elected to land in an open field rather than continue toward the airport. Due to fuel fumes and raw fuel in the cockpit, the pilot's vision was blurred, his eyes burned, and he had difficulty breathing. He positioned the airplane for landing into the wind. On final approach, the fuel was up over his ankles and his sectional charts were floating on top of the fuel. After touchdown, the airplane passed through a ditch. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. A post-crash fire destroyed the plane.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "An inadequate auxiliary fuel tank installation which resulted in a leak of undetermined origin."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Wrong installation of partsForced landing outside airport
Sources:
» NTSB id. NYC99LA200Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Manchester Municipal Airport, NH to Denver International Airport, CO as the crow flies is 2756 km (1722 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Manchester Municipal Airport, NH to Denver International Airport, CO as the crow flies is 2756 km (1722 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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