20111217028239A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 208 · Mesquite, NV · December 17, 2011

Date
December 17, 2011 · 13:00 local
Place
Mesquite, NV
Airport
Mesquite Airport
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N275PM
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12CA069
Reported as
Cessna 208
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,009 total131 in this make and model106 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot was flying aircraft for skydiving operations. Pilot stated that 16 gallons of fuel was added to the aircraft fuel system. Pilot stated that aircraft had 100 lbs fuel in one wing tank, and another 75 lbs fuel in the other tank. Based on standard day weight of jet fuel total 175 lbs indicates that there was approximately 25.73 gallons of jet fuel available for the operations. Pilot stated that he took one load of jumpers off earlier in the day and returned for second load. Second load commenced with 10 jumpers, one observer (seated in the second pilot's seat), and the pilot, for a total of 12 personnel on board. Pilot stated that in communication with la ctr that while climbing to flt lvl 150 traffic was encountered and reported by la ctr. Pilot stated he would continue to climb and had negative contact with traffic. Pilot stated that a second communication with la ctr stated additional traffic. Pilot stated he would continue to circle until traffic was clear of the area. Pilot did not state how long he maintained flt lvl 150. However, pilot did state that prior to jumpers departing the aircraft the engine quit and the propeller stopped, loss of power. Pilot stated he told jumpers to clear the aircraft and he then began a descent to land at Mesquite Airport the origin of the operation. Pilot stated that he did not take into consideration a feathered propeller and came into landing too fast. Pilot stated that he landed just a little past mid-field and continued past the runway, through the fence, down a hill, through a metal guard rail, over a concrete barrier, hitting the golf course tee box and continuing down another hill before coming to rest in a nose down attitude. Nose gear broke off after fall down first hill and was found on road, MLG was torn from aircraft fuselage and was found on hill. Propeller broke off engine and was found on hill in front of aircraft. Pilot and observer/passenger were both injured, passenger was transported to hospital, pilot refused treatment at the scene. Pilot stated that he was not wearing his shoulder harness and the passenger was not wearing the shoulder harness either, but both were wearing parachutes as required by the aircraft operating limitations.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS FLYING AIRCRAFT FOR SKYDIVING OPERATIONS. PILOT STATED THAT 16 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM. PILOT STATED THAT AIRCRAFT HAD 100 LBS FUEL IN ONE WING TANK, AND ANOTHER 75 LBS FUEL IN THE OTHER TANK. BASED ON STANDARD DAY WEIGHT OF JET FUEL TOTAL 175 LBS INDICATES THAT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25.73 GALLONS OF JET FUEL AVAILABLE FOR THE OPERATIONS. PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK ONE LOAD OF JUMPERS OFF EARLIER IN THE DAY AND RETURNED FOR SECOND LOAD. SECOND LOAD COMMENCED WITH 10 JUMPERS, ONE OBSERVER (SEATED IN THE SECOND PILOT'S SEAT), AND THE PILOT, FOR A TOTAL OF 12 PERSONNEL ON BOARD. PILOT STATED THAT IN COMMUNICATION WITH LA CTR THAT WHILE CLIMBING TO FLT LVL 150 TRAFFIC WAS ENCOUNTERED AND REPORTED BY LA CTR. PILOT STATED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO CLIMB AND HAD NEGATIVE CONTACT WITH TRAFFIC. PILOT STATED THAT A SECOND COMMUNICATION WITH LA CTR STATED ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC. PILOT STATED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO CIRCLE UNTIL TRAFFIC WAS CLEAR OF THE AREA. PILOT DID NOT STATE HOW LONG HE MAINTAINED FLT LVL 150. HOWEVER, PILOT DID STATE THAT PRIOR TO JUMPERS DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED, LOSS OF POWER. PILOT STATED HE TOLD JUMPERS TO CLEAR THE AIRCRAFT AND HE THEN BEGAN A DESCENT TO LAND AT MESQUITE AIRPORT THE ORIGIN OF THE OPERATION. PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A FEATHERED PROPELLER AND CAME INTO LANDING TOO FAST. PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED JUST A LITTLE PAST MID-FIELD AND CONTINUED PAST THE RUNWAY, THROUGH THE FENCE, DOWN A HILL, THROUGH A METAL GUARD RAIL, OVER A CONCRETE BARRIER, HITTING THE GOLF COURSE TEE BOX AND CONTINUING DOWN ANOTHER HILL BEFORE COMING TO REST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF AFTER FALL DOWN FIRST HILL AND WAS FOUND ON ROAD, MLG WAS TORN FROM AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE AND WAS FOUND ON HILL. PROPELLER BROKE OFF ENGINE AND WAS FOUND ON HILL IN FRONT OF AIRCRAFT. PILOT AND OBSERVER/PASSENGER WERE BOTH INJURED, PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL, PILOT REFUSED TREATMENT AT THE SCENE. PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT WEARING THE SHOULDER HARNESS EITHER, BUT BOTH WERE WEARING PARACHUTES AS REQUIRED BY THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING LIMITATIONS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N275PM · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.