# Incident 19960319007299I: Cessna 421C, Middletown, PA, March 19, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 19, 1996, 18:45 local time
- Place: Middletown, PA
- Airport: Harrisburg International Airport-Olmsted
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.2009° N, 76.7292° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Middletown, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2009&lon=-76.7292&mi=10
- Aircraft: N318TK (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 421C
- Reported engine: CONT GTSIO520C
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,850 total, 200 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960319007299I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 19, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS, N318TK DEPARTED (ISZ) CINCINATTI, OH, ENROUTE TO (MMU) MORRISTOWN, NJ. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT 5000' AFTER A THREE HOUR FLIGHT, 20KM WEST OF (ETX) EAST TEXAS VOR, IN LIGHT RAIN. A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED USING A COMBINATION OF ALTERNATE AIR, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, SWITCHING FUEL TANKS AND ADJUSTING MIXTURE SETTING. THE ENGINE DID RESTART, BUT AS THE THROTTLE ADVANCED THE POPPING SOUND REAPPEARED. AT THIS POINT THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY AND SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE RH ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND PROPELLER FEATHERED. ATC ADVISED THAT THE NEAREST AIRPORT WAS (MDT) MIDDLETOWN. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND TURN BACK TO MDT. WHILE SHOOTING THE ILS FOR LANDING, THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED AND AN UNSAFE CONDITION APPEARED ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED ONE TIME WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. WITH ONE ENGINE OUT AND SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BLOWDOWN SYSTEM. EVALUATION BY MECHANIC STEVE VANDERVALK REVEALED A BROKEN FUEL LINE AT THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER VALVE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED AND FERRIED, GEAR DOWN, TO HOME BASE FOR HYD. SYSTEM PURGE. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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