# NTSB MKC84MA060: Douglas DC-3C, St. Louis, MO, January 10, 1984

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Major investigation · Final report
- Date: January 9, 1984, 22:32 local (Jan 10, 1984, 04:32 UTC)
- Place: St. Louis, MO
- Coordinates: 38.630359, -90.189079 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6304&lon=-90.1891&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 33804
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MKC84MA060
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/33804/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC84MA060

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb
  - fluid,fuel - improper (cause)
  - maintenance,service of aircraft/equipment - improper, fbo personnel (cause)
  - aircraft performance,two or more engines - inoperative
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- In flight collision with object, descent - emergency
  - object - utility pole (contributing factor)
- On ground/water collision with object, landing
  - object - fence (contributing factor)
- On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing
  - terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankment (contributing factor)

## Analysis

AFTER LANDING, THE PLT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) PLACED A REFUELING ORDER TO FILL THE ACFT'S TWO 210 GAL MAIN TANKS FOR A RETURN FLT TO TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. AFTER THE CARGO WAS UNLOADED & THE ACFT WAS REFUELED, THE AIRCREW ABORTED THE 1ST 2 ATTEMPTS TO TAKEOFF DUE TO SLOW ACFT PERFORMANCE. ENG RUN-UPS WERE PERFORMED AFTER EACH ABORT & REPORTEDLY, THE ENGS CHECKED NORMAL. AFTER THE 2ND ABORTED TAKEOFF, THE AIRCREW CALLED THE FBO & REQUESTED THAT THE REFUELER BE ASKED WHAT TYPE OF FUEL WAS ADDED. THE RESPONSE WAS '100LL AVGAS.' ON THE 3RD ATTEMPT TO DEPART, THE ACFT TOOK OFF, BUT BOTH ENGS LOST POWER AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRCREW SELECTED A HIGHWAY ON WHICH TO LAND. HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING HIT A UTILITY POLE, THEN THE ACFT WENT THRU A FENCE & HIT A HIGHWAY EMBANKMENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT JET-A FUEL HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE ACFT RATHER THAN 100LL FUEL. THE TRUCK CONTAINING JET-A FUEL LOOKED SIMILAR TO THE ONE WITH 100LL AVGAS, BUT WAS PROPERLY DESIGNATED WITH FUEL GRADE MARKINGS.

## Aircraft

- Registration: CGSCA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUGLAS DC-3C
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 27190
- Airframe hours: 17933
- Engines: P&W R-1830 1025 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Positioning, Part 91
- Registered owner: Skycraft Air Transport
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: 100 hour, January 4, 1984, 25 hours before
- Destination: YYZ, TORONTO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: STL, Lambert-St.Louis, runway 24, 7,600 × 150 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 32; foreign, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 4,000 total, 1,350 in this make and model, 2,400 as pilot in command, 200 in the last 90 days, 65 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Wind: 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 1,400 ft broken
- Temperature: 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: STL

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.