ATL05CA143

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 402B · Alabaster, AL · August 14, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 14, 2005, 06:30 local (11:30 UTC)
Place
Alabaster, AL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N1399GCessna 402B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 27, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20050814018519A
Case key
62359

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine powerCruise - normal
Reason for occurrence undetermined
1 engine
Loss of engine powerCruise
All engines
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landingEmergency descent/landing
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Terrain condition - other

Analysis

The flight departed the airport on a fairy permit heading southeast. About 25 minutes into the flight, at a cruise altitude of 3500 feet, the pilot noticed a significant loss of power from the left engine followed by the left engine failing. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and the left engine was feathered. The right engine would not generate more then 29 inches of manifold pressure without running rough. The airplane turned toward Shelby County Airport, the closest airport to the airplane's current position, and the pilot attempted to perform an emergency landing. The airplane continued to lose altitude and at 900 feet the pilot chose to force land on a road, 3 miles southeast of the Shelby Airport. The airplane collided with a raised manhole cover and two roadside objects upon landing. Examination of the airplane found the airplane to the right side of the road with the right gear detached. The right wing had two tears in the leading edge. The left engine was run after the accident for a period of four minutes at 1800 RPM. The prop was cycled out of feather, the magnetos, oil pressure, and fuel pressure were checked. All engine checks were satisfactory to normal standards. The airplane had not been flown in over two years and sat outside a hanger for two weeks prior to being flown with no fuel in either tank. The fuel tanks were filled to capacity the morning of the accident flight. No contaminates were found in the fuel.

Factual narrative

On August 14, 2005, at 0630 central daylight time, a Cessna 402B, N1399G, registered to and operated by Aircraft Wholesale LLC., collided with the ground 3 miles southeast of the Shelby County Airport, Alabaster, Alabama. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Bessemer Airport, Bessemer, Alabama, at 0605 August 14, 2005.

The flight departed the airport on a ferry permit heading southeast. 25 minutes into the flight, at a cruise altitude of 3500 feet, the pilot noticed a significant loss of power from the left engine followed by the left engine failing. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and the left engine was feathered. The right engine would not generate more then 29 inches of manifold pressure without running rough. The airplane turned toward Shelby County Airport, the closest airport to the airplane's current position, and the pilot attempted to perform an emergency landing. The airplane continued to lose altitude and at 900 feet the pilot chose to force land on a road, 3 miles southeast of the Shelby Airport. The airplane collided with a raised manhole cover and two roadside objects upon landing. Examination of the airplane found the airplane to the right side of the road with the right gear detached. The right wing had two tears in the leading edge. The left engine was run after the accident for a period of four minutes at 1800 RPM. The prop was cycled out of feather, the magnetos, oil pressure, and fuel pressure were checked. All engine checks were satisfactory to normal standards. The airplane had not been flown in over two years and sat outside a hanger for two weeks prior to being flown with no fuel in either tank. The fuel tanks were filled to capacity the morning of the accident flight. No contaminates were found in the fuel.

Aircraft

Registration
N1399G
Reported as
Cessna 402B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
402B0573
Engine
Continental TSIO-520 SER, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Aircraft Wholesale LLC.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
EKY · Bessemer, AL
Destination
FL

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
44
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
4,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
8 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 70 °F
Altimeter
30.05 inHg
Observed at
KBHM

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.