- Date
- September 13, 2021, 13:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA · marsh
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N162DFBeech 58
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Wrong fuel
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210913022099A
- Case key
- 103850
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 fuelers addition of the incorrect fuel to the fuel tanks which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, about 500 ft above the ground, both engines lost power. A forced landing was subsequently initiated to an open area. During the landing, the left wing collided with a wooden post and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preacccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was fueled before the flight. The fueler reported that he incorrectly fueled the airplane with Jet A fuel instead of Avgas. He added that he did not notice the “Avgas only” label adjacent to the fuel port, and that he did not follow the company’s fueling checklist while fueling the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N162DF
- Reported as
- Beech 58 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TJ-403
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 7,500
- Engines
- Continetal TSIO520WB, 325 horsepower, reciprocatingContinetal TSIO520WB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Faford Aviation Leasing Co
- Registered owner
- Faford Aviation Leasing Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 10, 2021 · 67 hours before
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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
- 80
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 6,500 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAO, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KPAO 132047Z 33010KT 10SM SKC 24/15 A2987
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.