ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 174049
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 22 February 2015 |
| Time: | 13:30 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | C-GVZW |
| MSN: | 4636281 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2388 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental. TIO-540-AE2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | SW of Felts Field Airport (KSFF), Spokane, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Felts Field (KSFF) |
| Stockton Metro (KSCK) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was conducting a cross-country flight from Canada to California and had landed to clear customs into the United States and to refuel his airplane. The pilot then departed to continue the flight. During the initial climb after takeoff, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot attempted to make an off-airport forced landing. The right wing struck railroad tracks at the top of a hill, and the airplane continued down an embankment, where it came to rest adjacent to the bottom of a railroad bridge.
Postaccident interviews revealed that, when requesting fuel from the fixed-base operator (FBO), the pilot did not specify a grade of fuel to be used to service the airplane. The refueler mistakenly identified the airplane as requiring Jet A fuel, even though the fuel filler ports were placarded “AVGAS (aviation gasoline) ONLY.” The fueler subsequently fueled the airplane with Jet A instead of aviation gasoline. Additionally, the fueling nozzle installed on the fuel truck at the time of the refueling was not the proper type of nozzle. Jet A and AvGas fueling nozzles are different designs in order to prevent fueling an airplane with the wrong type of fuel.
Following the fueling, the pilot returned to the FBO and signed a receipt, which indicated that the airplane had been serviced with Jet A. There were no witnesses to the pilot’s preflight activities, and it is unknown if the pilot visually inspected or obtained a fuel sample before takeoff; however, had the pilot done this, it would have been apparent that the airplane had been improperly fueled.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to the refueler’s incorrect refueling of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the fixed-base operator’s improper fueling nozzle, which facilitated the use of an incorrect fuel, and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Feb-2015 03:54 | Geno | Added |
| 23-Feb-2015 03:59 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 25-Feb-2015 07:12 | Anon. | Updated [Total fatalities, Embed code] |
| 25-Feb-2015 07:12 | harro | Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 27-Feb-2015 06:53 | bovine | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Oct-2015 17:24 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Sep-2017 19:56 | harro | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation