- Date
- September 14, 1992, 18:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Darlington, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5754XCessna 320
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920914036589A
- Case key
- 8664
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper servicing of the airplane with contaminated fuel by the owner pilot.
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.
Analysis
The pilot reported that at lift off both engines lost power. A right turn was made to avoid houses, which resulted in a collision with electrical transmission wires. The airplane then impacted the ground and slid into an out building adjacent to a residence. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel system contained an oily, foul smelling contaminant. The pilot said he had recently bought 300 gallons of 100LL fuel from a local fixed base operator. The fuel was transported to the pilot's fuel farm on his airfield in a tank which he uses to mix chemicals for aerial application.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5754X
- Reported as
- Cessna 320
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320-0054
- Airframe hours
- 1,419
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Branham, John R.
- Registered owner
- Branham, John R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 1992 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 6J7
- Destination
- 6J7
- Airport
- 6J7 · Branham'S, runway 35, 3,200 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 10 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLO, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.