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| Date: | Tuesday 14 February 1989 |
| Time: | 22:45 |
| Type: |  Cessna 340A |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N8814K |
| MSN: | 340A-0988 |
| Engine model: | Continental TSIO-520-NB |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Safford, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Fresno, CA (FAT) |
| Las Cruces, NM (LRU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
DURING THE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT AT FL250, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT AREA AND MOVE TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT TO ATTEND TO PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS. ALTHOUGH OXYGEN WAS AVAILABLE IN THE COCKPIT, SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE REAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED WITH A KNOWN PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM DEFICIENCY WHICH LIMITED THE AIRPLANE TO FLIGHT TO 17,000 FEET MSL WHILE MAINTAINING A CABIN ALTITUDE OF 10,000 FEET. AFTER 2 HOURS AND 10 MINUTES, ATC DECLARED THE FLIGHT TO BE 'NO RADIO'. AT 3 HOURS AND 57 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE WAS PLOTTED ON RADAR IN A DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO GROUND IMPACT. FUEL STARVATION RESULTED IN POWER LOSS TO THE LEFT ENGINE. PROPELLER SIGNATURES INDICATED POWER ON THE RIGHT PROPELLER AT IMPACT. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS FOUND IN THE AFT CABIN AREA ON THE AFT CABIN BULKHEAD. CAUSE: THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT AND THE RESULTANT HYPOXIA SUSTAINED IN THE UNPRESSURIZED AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE: THE MALFUNCTIONING PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE OPERATION WITH THAT KNOWN DISCREPANCY.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X27741
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 15 February 1989 | N8814K | Private | Safford, AZ | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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