- Date
- June 26, 1995, 18:55 local (Jun 27, 1995, 00:55 UTC)
- Place
- Alamosa, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N36998Cessna 404
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950626014929A
- Case key
- 19472
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
FBO personnel improperly serviced the aircraft with jet fuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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 instructed the lineman to service the airplane with 50 gallons of 100-LL aviation gasoline. After the airplane was refueled, the pilot drained the fuel sumps and noted a clear, blue-colored fuel that 'smelled like gasoline.' Shortly after takeoff, both engines lost power and the pilot attempted to return to the airport. He then made an intentional wheels-up forced landing. Both the fixed base operator and the lineman stated the airplane had been inadvertently serviced with jet-a fuel. The pilot noted the fuel truck that serviced the airplane was not equipped with a jet fuel nozzle, but utilized a straight tip nozzle instead.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 1995, approximately 1855 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 404, N36998, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Alamosa, Colorado. The airline transport rated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report and a telephone interview with the pilot. The pilot instructed the lineman to service his airplane with 50 gallons of 100-LL aviation gasoline (25 gallons in each wing tank). After the airplane was refueled, the pilot drained the fuel tank sumps and noted a clear, blue-colored fuel that "smelled like gasoline."
The pilot took off on runway 02 and after climbing 400 feet, both engines began losing power. The pilot turned around in an attempt to return to the airport, but was forced to make an intentional wheels-up landing on terrain 200 yards short of the runway. The pilot said both the fixed base operator and the lineman admitted inadvertently servicing the airplane with Jet-A fuel. The pilot said the fuel truck was not equipped with a jet fuel nozzle, but utilized a straight tip nozzle instead. The fixed base operator was contacted and he confirmed that his employee had inadvertently serviced the airplane with Jet-A fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36998
- Reported as
- Cessna 404
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 404-0101
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-M, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Superior Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 5, 1995
- Departed
- ALA
- Destination
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,750 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 15 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ALA, 1 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.