# Accident 19990701008009A: Cessna 421B, Polacca, AZ, July 1, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 1, 1999, 18:50 local time - Place: Polacca, AZ - Airport: Polacca Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: DYVA - Location: 35.8396° N, 110.3697° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8396&lon=-110.3697&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5943M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5943M-2001-05-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 421B (registry code 2076014, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-421b) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 421B - Reported engine: CONT GTSIO520* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 8,800 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA240) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990701008009A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS ON APPROACH WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. (.4)DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER AND THE PILOT FORCE LANDED IN THE DESERT. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A POSITIONING FLIGHT FOLLOWING A RIGHT ENGINE CHANGE BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH HAD OCCURRED ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE HAD REMAINED PARKED ON THE RAMP AT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT SECURITY. THE OPERATOR SAID THAT THEY USUALLY PROVIDED SECURITY FOR AIRPLANES PARKED IN REMOTE LOCATIONS DUE TO PAST INCIDENTS OF VANDALISM AND FUEL THEFT, BUT DID NOT DO SO ON THIS OCCASION. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY; INSTEAD, HE RELIED ON THE FUEL GAUGES. HE DID NOT OPEN THE COWLING ON EITHER ENGINE BUT RELIED ON THE MECHANIC'S WORD THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS READY FOR FLIGHT. AFTER TAKEOFF, WHEN HE CHANGED THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE MAIN TO THE AUXILIARY TANK, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE TURNED TOWARD THE RUNWAY, SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE MAIN TANK, AND TURNED THE LEFT FUEL BOOST PUMP SWITCH TO HIGH. THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL FLOW WAS NEAR ZERO AND THERE WAS NO EFFECT WITH THE BOOST PUMP. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE RIGH T ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. HE DID NOT FEATHER EITHER PROPELLER. WHEN HE DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT REACH THE RUNWAY, HE STALLED THE AIRPLANE INTO BUSHES TO CUSHION THE LANDING. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL FOUND IN EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT MAIN TIP TANKS. THE LEFT TIP MAIN TANK WAS BROKEN OPEN DURING THE FORCED LANDING WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPRAY ON THE SURROUNDING VEGETATION. AIRCRAFT RECOVERY PERSONNEL FOUND 18 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT AUXILIARY TANK AND 23 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. THE RIGHT ENGINE AIR INDUCTION TUBE WAS DISCONNECTED AT THE INLET FLANGE TO THE FUEL/AIR METERING CONTROL UNIT. FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS ON THE PRECEDING FLIGHTS AND GROUND RUNS FAILED TO ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 74 GALLONS OF FUEL. BOTH ENGINES OPERATED TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS DURING POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATIONS IN TEST CELLS. FUEL ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM THE VARIOUS TANKS CONTAINED HIGH PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION CONSISTING OF RUST, DIRT, IRON, AND FLAKES OF ALUMINUM. (-23)PILOT TOOKOFF FROM AIRSTRIP @ POLLACA, AZ. WHEN L/H ENG. POWER STARTED TO DECREASE IN SPITE OF FUEL MANAGEMENT ATTEMPTS. THEN THE R/H ENG. LOST P OWER. WITH BOTH ENGINES "OUT" PILOT TURNED BACK TO AIRSTRIP @ POLLACA, AZ. EMERGENCY LANDING FELL SHORT OF RUNWAY CAUSING, SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. NO POST-CRASH FIRE. ## 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 LAX99LA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA240), Jul 2, 1999: Cessna 421B (N5943M), Polacca, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to determine the fuel supply in each fuel tank, and his mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation. ## Other reports on N5943M (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19811226084109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19811226084109A), Dec 26, 1981: Cessna 421B (N5943M), Dallas, TX, Substantial damage. Left main gear collapsed on landing roll. Indicates drag brace overcenter lock rigged with insufficient preload. 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.