- Date
- November 26, 1992, 19:15 local (Nov 27, 1992, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5429JCessna 404
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27835
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 pilot's inflight decision to deviate from the airplane's engine manual and the pilot's operating handbook by maintaining the fuel mixture at full rich throughout the mission and rapidly descending the airplane which resulted in both engine's losing total power. Factors in this accident were 1) the pilot not following the emergency procedure for both engines failing as outlined in the pilot's operating handbook, and 2) the pilot not performing a flare during the landing sequence which resulted in the airplane colliding with the terrain.
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
During a 2 hour and 40 minute training mission, the pilot maintained a low power setting with the fuel mix at full rich. After the mission, the pilot climbed the airplane to 9,000 feet AGL to clear obstacles between his location and his destination. During the descent, the pilot said he reduced power more rapidly than usual and descended faster than normal at about 180 KIAS. About 800 to 1,000 feet AGL, in the traffic pattern, the pilot applied power. Both engines lost total power. He set up an 85 KIAS glide; competed emergency procedures; and retracted the landing gear. The engines did not re start. He did not feather the propellers. He extended the landing gear prior to touchdown. The pilot said he did not flare the airplane during landing which resulted in the airplane colliding with the ground. The engine manual and the POH recommend adjusting the fuel mixture for cruise. An engine manual note states long descents at low power should be avoided because the engines may cool excessively and may not accelerate satisfactorily when power is re applied. The POH recommends feathering propellers and gliding at 120 KIAS for dual engine failure. Soot was noted on all spark plugs during engine exam. Both engines started and ran normally from idle to full acceleration during the exam.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5429J
- Reported as
- Cessna 404
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4040107
- Airframe hours
- 4,011
- Engine
- Continental GSTIO-520-M2B, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- U. S. Customs Service, doing business as Tucson Air Branch
- Registered owner
- United States Customs Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 26, 1992 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- DMA
- Destination
- DMA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- DMA · Davis Monthan Afb, runway 12, 13,645 × 200 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- 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
- 4,981 total · 685 in this make and model · 4,154 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 4 nm away