What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At Cessna's manufacturing facility in independence, Kansas (idp), a new Cessna mustang CE-510, s/n 0049, N13616, aircraft was sold to spectator grupa, a company in zagreb croatia. Cessna N13616 is registered to globe aero ltd, inc. this company sold the aircraft. After the production test flight, the aircraft was painted for the new owner with the croatian registration numbers. For the flight from idp to croatia, the croatian registration numbers on the tail and under the left wing were covered with a large portion of white plastic. The plastic was nearly the same color as the aircraft, and the largest piece placed under the left wing covered the left fuel tank air vent. A united states registration number N13616 was temporarily applied to the plastic sheet on the tail of the aircraft. Two pilots were on board, one representing and employed by the croatia company buying the aircraft privacy data omitted and a hired pilot employed by globe aero ltd, inc. experienced in ferrying new aircraft to europe. privacy data omitted Began the flight from independence, Kansas to croatia. privacy data omitted Stated that during a scheduled fuel stop at allegheny county airport (agc), while descending from 27,000 feet, that at around 18,000 feet they heard a bang and nothing unusual was noticed with the aircraft at that time. A short time later the left engine fuel pressure low light illuminated. During the review of the low fuel pressure procedures, the top of the left wing was observed to be distorted and a second bang was heard. The aircraft continued the descent and landed at agc at 20:00E with no further incident. Inspection on 12/20/07 at 09:30E by allegheny FSDO personnel revealed the plastic covering the fuel vent and the croatian registration numbers was still in place. The left wing's upper and lower skin making the upper and lower sections of the fuel tank was collapsed. The collapsed section was approximately 3/4 of the wing from the root outwards. The depth was near 3 inches. The lower wing skin was punctured from the inside of the fuel tank by two broken ribs or formers protruding approximately 2 inches by 1 inch square. The wichita mido was contacted via the phone, and the principal inspector for the facility will be conducting further investigations. As detailed in privacy data omitted, pilots did not notice the blocked fuel vent underside of left wing during preflight. Both pilots were counseled regarding preflight vigilance and adherence to manufacturer checklists/procedures.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT CESSNA'S MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS (IDP), A NEW CESSNA MUSTANG CE-510, S/N 0049, N13616, AIRCRAFT WAS SOLD TO SPECTATOR GRUPA, A COMPANY IN ZAGREB CROATIA. CESSNA N13616 IS REGISTERED TO GLOBE AERO LTD, INC. THIS COMPANY SOLD THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PAINTED FOR THE NEW OWNER WITH THE CROATIAN REGISTRATION NUMBERS. FOR THE FLIGHT FROM IDP TO CROATIA, THE CROATIAN REGISTRATION NUMBERS ON THE TAIL AND UNDER THE LEFT WING WERE COVERED WITH A LARGE PORTION OF WHITE PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC WAS NEARLY THE SAME COLOR AS THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE LARGEST PIECE PLACED UNDER THE LEFT WING COVERED THE LEFT FUEL TANK AIR VENT. A UNITED STATES REGISTRATION NUMBER N13616 WAS TEMPORARILY APPLIED TO THE PLASTIC SHEET ON THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT. TWO PILOTS WERE ON BOARD, ONE REPRESENTING AND EMPLOYED BY THE CROATIA COMPANY BUYING THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND A HIRED PILOT EMPLOYED BY GLOBE AERO LTD, INC. EXPERIENCED IN FERRYING NEW AIRCRAFT TO EUROPE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN THE FLIGHT FROM INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS TO CROATIA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT DURING A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP AT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT (AGC), WHILE DESCENDING FROM 27,000 FEET, THAT AT AROUND 18,000 FEET THEY HEARD A BANG AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTICED WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT TIME. A SHORT TIME LATER THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DURING THE REVIEW OF THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE PROCEDURES, THE TOP OF THE LEFT WING WAS OBSERVED TO BE DISTORTED AND A SECOND BANG WAS HEARD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THE DESCENT AND LANDED AT AGC AT 20:00E WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. INSPECTION ON 12/20/07 AT 09:30E BY ALLEGHENY FSDO PERSONNEL REVEALED THE PLASTIC COVERING THE FUEL VENT AND THE CROATIAN REGISTRATION NUMBERS WAS STILL IN PLACE. THE LEFT WING'S UPPER AND LOWER SKIN MAKING THE UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS OF THE FUEL TANK WAS COLLAPSED. THE COLLAPSED SECTION WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE WING FROM THE ROOT OUTWARDS. THE DEPTH WAS NEAR 3 INCHES. THE LOWER WING SKIN WAS PUNCTURED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK BY TWO BROKEN RIBS OR FORMERS PROTRUDING APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES BY 1 INCH SQUARE. THE WICHITA MIDO WAS CONTACTED VIA THE PHONE, AND THE PRINCIPAL INSPECTOR FOR THE FACILITY WILL BE CONDUCTING FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS. AS DETAILED IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOTS DID NOT NOTICE THE BLOCKED FUEL VENT UNDERSIDE OF LEFT WING DURING PREFLIGHT. BOTH PILOTS WERE COUNSELED REGARDING PREFLIGHT VIGILANCE AND ADHERENCE TO MANUFACTURER CHECKLISTS/PROCEDURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.