- Date
- October 31, 1996, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mccomb, MS
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N120JDPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961031037889I
- Case key
- 38158
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
the lineman's fueling of the aircraft with the wrong type fuel, the pilot's failure to verify the type of fuel added to the aircraft before flight, and failure of the refueling facility to be equipped with the proper fuel nozzle.
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 requested that the aircraft be fueled with 40 gallons of 100LL avgas. The lineman fueled the aircraft with 40 gallons of Jet-A fuel. This made the total fuel on board about 80 gallons (about a 50 percent to 50 percent mixture of avgas and Jet-A). The pilot signed the fuel receipt, which indicated Jet-A fuel, and then departed. The lineman did not observe the pilot perform a preflight inspection. Both engines lost power after takeoff, and a forced landing was made in a field. The aircraft was equipped with restricted fuel ports to prevent this type of misfueling; however, the fuel pump (from which N120JD was fueled) was not equipped with the respective large size nozzle that was designed to prevent the problem.
Factual narrative
On October 31, 1996, about 1415 central standard time, a Piper PA-31-350, N120JD, registered to SOHO Air, Inc., lost power in both engines, shortly after takeoff from McComb-Pike County Airport, McComb, Mississippi, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 corporate flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received minor damage and the airline transport-rated pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that after landing at the airport, he requested that the lineman fuel the aircraft with 20 gallons of 100LL avgas in each main tank. This brought the fuel capacity to about 80 gallons. About 30 minutes after fueling he loaded the passengers, started the engines, and taxied to the runway where he made a normal engine run-up. After departure, while climbing through about 300 feet agl, one or both engines surged. At 400 feet agl, both engines lost power. He made a forced landing in a field.
Records obtained from the aircraft fueling company which fueled N120JD just before takeoff shows the aircraft was fueled with 40 gallons of Jet-A fuel. The pilot had signed the receipt indicating the aircraft had been fueled with Jet-A fuel. The lineman stated he had fueled the aircraft with Jet-A fuel. He did not see the pilot check the fuel in wings before takeoff.
Examination of the aircraft after the accident by FAA inspectors showed that the main fuel tanks and engine fuel strainers contained a mixture of 100LL avgas and Jet-A fuel. Examination of the fuel pump which was used to fuel N120JD showed the pump was not equipped with a nozzle designed to prevent misfueling of aircraft with Jet-A. N120JD did have restricted fuel ports to prevent misfueling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N120JD
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8152179
- Airframe hours
- 4,101
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Soho Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 1996 · 141 hours before
- Departed
- MCB
- Destination
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,425 total · 783 in this make and model · 8,130 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCB, 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.