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19990930032049A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA31 · Greenfield, IN · September 30, 1999

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Date
September 30, 1999 · 15:20 local
Place
Greenfield, IN
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
CGHOL
Reported as
Piper PA31
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On September 30, 1999, at 1520 central daylight time, a Piper pa- 31, canadian registration cghol, made an off airport forced landing in a plowed corn field in Greenfield, Indiana. The landing followed a loss of power on both engines shortly after takeoff from the Mt. Comfort airport, indianapolis, Indiana. The pilot, co-pilot, and five passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR part 135 non-scheduled, international, passenger flight was operating on an IFR flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The flight departed the Mt. Comfort airport shortly before the accident with a destination of waterloo, ontario, Canada. The flight crew reported the engine start and run-up were normal and a gradual loss of engine power was experienced on both engines shortly after takeoff. The left wing of the airplane was substantially damaged during an off airport forced landing in a corn field. The airplane was refueled prior to this flight. Fuel drained from the airplane after the accident, along with refueling paperwork from the Mt. Comfort airport indicate that the airplane was refueled with jeta instead of 100LL aviation fuel. (-23)see CHI99LA357 (.4) a loss of power was experienced on both engines during the initial takeoff climb. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing in a plowed corn field. Post accident inspection revealed the airplane had been refueled with 101.5 gallons of jet a fuel instead of 100LL fuel. The FBO employee who refueled the airplane reported using a rubberized adapter to get the fuel nozzle to fit into the inlet. He reported the captain did not specify what type of fuel should be added to the airplane, only the quantity. The captain did not drain the fuel tanks during the aircraft preflight nor did he notice the smell of jet a when he visually inspected the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks prior to takeoff. The first officer, who signed for payment of the fuel, did not notice the type of fuel added which was noted on the master receipt and the invoice.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1999, AT 1520 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA- 31, CANADIAN REGISTRATION CGHOL, MADE AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING IN A PLOWED CORN FIELD IN GREENFIELD, INDIANA. THE LANDING FOLLOWED A LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGINES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE MT. COMFORT AIRPORT, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. THE PILOT, CO-PILOT, AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE 14 CFR PART 135 NON-SCHEDULED, INTERNATIONAL, PASSENGER FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE MT. COMFORT AIRPORT SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WITH A DESTINATION OF WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THE ENGINE START AND RUN-UP WERE NORMAL AND A GRADUAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED ON BOTH ENGINES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. FUEL DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, ALONG WITH REFUELING PAPERWORK FROM THE MT. COMFORT AIRPORT INDICATE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED WITH JETA INSTEAD OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL. (-23)SEE CHI99LA357 (.4) A LOSS OF POWER WAS EXPERIENCED ON BOTH ENGINES DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING IN A PLOWED CORN FIELD. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN REFUELED WITH 101.5 GALLONS OF JET A FUEL INSTEAD OF 100LL FUEL. THE FBO EMPLOYEE WHO REFUELED THE AIRPLANE REPORTED USING A RUBBERIZED ADAPTER TO GET THE FUEL NOZZLE TO FIT INTO THE INLET. HE REPORTED THE CAPTAIN DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT TYPE OF FUEL SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE AIRPLANE, ONLY THE QUANTITY. THE CAPTAIN DID NOT DRAIN THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT NOR DID HE NOTICE THE SMELL OF JET A WHEN HE VISUALLY INSPECTED THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE FIRST OFFICER, WHO SIGNED FOR PAYMENT OF THE FUEL, DID NOT NOTICE THE TYPE OF FUEL ADDED WHICH WAS NOTED ON THE MASTER RECEIPT AND THE INVOICE.