# Incident 19980815028049I: Cessna 305B, West Palm Beach, FL, August 15, 1998 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 15, 1998, 11:30 local time - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Airport: Palm Beach County Park Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.5795° N, 80.0708° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5795&lon=-80.0708&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8WP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8WP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 305B (registry code 2074008, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-305b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 305B - Reported engine: CONT O470L - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 700 total, 75 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA113) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980815028049I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 8-15-98, 11:45AM, N8WP, CE-305-B, BIRD DOG WAS DEPARTING RUWNAY 15 AT PLALM BEACH COUNTY PARK(KLNA). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 300-400 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BACK FIRE AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT (MR RONALD KROLICK) ABORTED TAKEOFF AND LANDED ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END INTO SOFT SAND AND TALL GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND STOPPED UPSIDE DOWN.(.19) ON AUGUST 15, 1998, AT 1115 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 305, N8WP, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 15 AT THE PALM BEACH COUNTY AIR PARK, IN LANTANA, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. A REVIEW OF WEATHER DATA DISCLOSED THAT VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE INTITAL TAKEOFF FROM LANTANA, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE TAKEOF ROLL. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. TO AVOID COLIDING WITH A NEARBY LAKE, THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY GROUND LOOPED THE AIRP LANE OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. (.4)ON AUGUST 15, 1998, AT 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 305, N8WP, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 15 AT THE PALM BEACH COUNTY AIR PARK, IN LANTANA, FLORIDA. THE PERSONEL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. A REVIEW OF WEATHER DATA DISCLOSED THAT VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECIEVED MINOR INJURIES. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF FROM LANTANA, FLORIDA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE COMPLETED AN EXTENSIVE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION THAT INCLUDED THE DRAINING OF BOTH FUEL SUMPS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THERE WAS NO SEDIMENT OR WATER FOUND IN THE FUEL SAMPLES. DURING THE PREFLIGHT IN SPECTION, THE PILOT VISUALLY CONFIRMED THAT BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN TOPPED OFF, AS HE HAD REQUESTED, BY THE FIXED BASED OPERATOR. AFTER THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 15. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE "PRE-DEPARTURE RUN-UP" WAS NORMAL. DURING THE POWER APPLICATION FOR THE TAKEOFF, THE PILOT RECALLED THAT ENGINE OPERATION WAS NORMAL. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED THROUGH 400 FEET, THE PILOT RECALLED THAT THE ENGINE HESITATED AND LOST POWER. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORREC THE HESITATION BY ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE, THE ENGINE BACKFIRED. STILL ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, AND ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE HARD SURFACE INTO A GRASSY AREA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AS IT STOPPED IN THE ROUGH GRASSY AREA. ACCORDING TO THE FIXED BASED OPERATOR, THE AIRPLANE WAS PLACED BACK ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING THE RECOVERY PROCESS. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EXAM INATION OF THE AIRPLANE BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED OF REMAINING FUEL. DURING THIS PHASE OF THE RECOVERY AND EXAMINATION, SEVERAL OUNCES OF WATER WERE ALSO RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND SUB-SYSTEMS FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITION WAS NOT DETERMINED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL98LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA113), Aug 15, 1998: Cessna 305 (N8WP), Lantana, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system that resulted in the loss of engine power due to water contamination. A factor was the rough terrain on the departure end of the runway. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.