What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 27, 2014, at 1856 MDT, N51RX, a Cessna golden eagle (CE-421-C), multiengine airplane, registered to elite medical air transport, LLC, departed Las Cruces international airport (lru), Las Cruces, NM, after fueling the aircraft and loading a patient for this air ambulance flight to phoenix sky harbor airport (phx), phoenix, AZ. The weather was visual meteorological conditions and the flight was planned to be conducted under instrument flight rules. The aircraft departed on runway 26. Shortly after the aircraft departed, the medical personnel reported to their communications center that the aircraft was in an emergency and was returning to lru because the right engine was smoking. The aircraft impacted the ground in an easterly direction, approximately three miles southwest of lru, near the county fairgrounds. The aircraft struck mounds of earth that had accumulated under mesquite trees. These mounds were up to 8 feet high and 30 feet in diameter. The aircraft was torn apart by the impact. When the fuel tanks were breached, the fuel ignited and the aircraft caught on fire. Except for the empennage which was burned but recognizable, the aircraft was consumed by the fire. The pilot, two medical personnel and the single patient were all killed by the impact or the fire. The aircraft was destroyed.
The person who fueled the aircraft at lru reported that he put 20 gallons of jet-a fuel in each main tank and that he requested assistance from the pilot in putting the caps back on the wing tanks. Prior to the departure of the aircraft, neither the pilot nor the fueler realized that the added jet-a fuel had contaminated the aircraft?s fuel system. The engines on the aircraft required 100 ll gasoline to operate properly.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 27, 2014, AT 1856 MDT, N51RX, A CESSNA GOLDEN EAGLE (CE-421-C), MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE, REGISTERED TO ELITE MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORT, LLC, DEPARTED LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LRU), LAS CRUCES, NM, AFTER FUELING THE AIRCRAFT AND LOADING A PATIENT FOR THIS AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT TO PHOENIX SKY HARBOR AIRPORT (PHX), PHOENIX, AZ. THE WEATHER WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 26. SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED, THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL REPORTED TO THEIR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN EMERGENCY AND WAS RETURNING TO LRU BECAUSE THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS SMOKING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION, APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES SOUTHWEST OF LRU, NEAR THE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK MOUNDS OF EARTH THAT HAD ACCUMULATED UNDER MESQUITE TREES. THESE MOUNDS WERE UP TO 8 FEET HIGH AND 30 FEET IN DIAMETER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TORN APART BY THE IMPACT. WHEN THE FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED, THE FUEL IGNITED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON FIRE. EXCEPT FOR THE EMPENNAGE WHICH WAS BURNED BUT RECOGNIZABLE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. THE PILOT, TWO MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND THE SINGLE PATIENT WERE ALL KILLED BY THE IMPACT OR THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
THE PERSON WHO FUELED THE AIRCRAFT AT LRU REPORTED THAT HE PUT 20 GALLONS OF JET-A FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK AND THAT HE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE PILOT IN PUTTING THE CAPS BACK ON THE WING TANKS. PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT, NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE FUELER REALIZED THAT THE ADDED JET-A FUEL HAD CONTAMINATED THE AIRCRAFT?S FUEL SYSTEM. THE ENGINES ON THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRED 100 LL GASOLINE TO OPERATE PROPERLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.