Children of the Corn(field) - Golden Eagle Edition: 8/21/26

A

AquaLand

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Final report for N28RH

The pilot of the reciprocating, multi-engine airplane [C421C] reported that, after takeoff [KBYH] while climbing to altitude, the #1 cylinder on the right engine was running hot. He leveled the airplane at 5,000 mean sea level (msl), but the cylinder continued to run hot, so he elected to feather the propeller and shut down the engine. As he attempted to navigate to an airport, he noticed that the other engine was beginning to deteriorate and he was no longer able to maintain altitude. He attempted to increase power on the remaining engine but about 2 miles from the airport [1M7] he performed a forced landing to a cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right engine mount, fuselage, and empennage as a result.

A postaccident interview with the fueler at the departure airport confirmed that he had topped off the airplane with “pre-mixed Jet-A.” The airport manager at the departure airport confirmed that the fueler used Jet-A fuel when filling the airplane. A fuel receipt was provided by the airport manager, and was signed by the pilot, that showed the airplane had been fueled with 145 gallons of Jet-A.

In an interview with the pilot, he reported that he did not specifically tell the fueler that he wanted 100LL in the airplane. He also stated that he did read the fuel receipt after fueling and that they “wanted to get home” so they “got in the airplane and left.” The pilot did not inspect or sample fuel from the airplane’s tanks after the fuel was added.

NTSB probable cause: The misfuelling of the airplane by the refueler. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to verify that the airplane had been properly fueled prior to departing on the accident flight.
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Although the final report states that the pilot “did read the fuel receipt after fueling,” the docket interview between the IIC and the pilot states that the pilot did not look at the fuel receipt. The docket has images of the credit card receipt and fuel delivery ticket, both of which clearly state “Jet Fuel” and “Jet-A” respectively.

The fueler stated in his interview that, since the pilot didn’t pull up to the self-service avgas pumps, he assumed that the pilot wanted Jet-A.

N28RHa.jpg
 
While the pilot might be guilty of assumption and inattention, misfueling usually has a very different outcome. It's fortunate they made that cornfield.
 
AquaLand said:
The fueler stated in his interview that, since the pilot didn’t pull up to the self-service avgas pumps, he assumed that the pilot wanted Jet-A.
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I guess those stickers on the fuel caps "100 LL only" were just there for aesthetic reasons.

Pilot should have caught the mistake, but it doesn't take away from the fact the FBO / fueler made the mistake. No mention of the fueling request conversation that had to have happened. What was requested verbally?
 
luvflyin said:
I didn’t think a gas engine would last that long on Jet A based on other wrong fuel I’ve read about. 5000 is about 4600 above field elevation. But then I looked and a C421C has a 213 gal capacity, even more on some of them. They took on 145 gallons.
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Yeah, it couldn't have been running correctly from the start. This would have been fun for the various insurance companies to sort, as there are issues on both ends.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Yeah, it couldn't have been running correctly from the start. This would have been fun for the various insurance companies to sort, as there are issues on both ends.
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What I’ve heard is it runs fine at taxi speeds. It’s when you go to takeoff power that things go sideways and it happens pretty quick, but not quick enough to notice until after taking off. But very shortly thereafter.
 
WDD said:
No mention of the fueling request conversation that had to have happened. What was requested verbally?
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From the fueler interview:

The IIC asked if the pilot requested Jet-A. Mr. [redacted] replied that he did not. He stated that the pilot pulled up and asked for it to be topped off, but that was it. He stated that he assumed the pilot wanted Jet-A because most pilots who want 100LL use the self-serve fuel pump nearby.
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From the pilot interview:

The IIC asked him to describe the fuel stop. He stated that a “gentleman fueled it” for him and that he “looked like an old timer”. He felt that the fuel[er] knew that he needed AvGas. He didn’t ask him specifically for AvGas, he just pulled up and assumed they knew what they were doing. He did recall that he told him to top of the wings.
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luvflyin said:
What I’ve heard is it runs fine at taxi speeds. It’s when you go to takeoff power that things go sideways and it happens pretty quick, but not quick enough to notice until after taking off. But very shortly thereafter.
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Pre flight run up mag check? Course with everything else missed maybe the pilot skipped this as well.
 
Not the first time a 421C has been misfuelled with Jet A. On two different occasions I have stopped a line guy from doing the same on mine.

I make it apoint to stand at the plane with the fueler until he/she starts to fuel it just because of situations like that.
 
steingar said:
The nozzles don't really fit.
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I read an accident report years ago where the statement was (approximately) that "the refueller went out of his way to tilt the nozzle in order to get fuel in the tanks"
 
AV8R_87 said:
I read an accident report years ago where the statement was (approximately) that "the refueller went out of his way to tilt the nozzle in order to get fuel in the tanks"
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There are MULTIPLE reports like this unfortunately. Seems like every line guy that misfuelled a 421 went out of his/her way to do so.

"A" for effort on their part I guess...
 
k9medic said:
Not the first time a 421C has been misfuelled with Jet A. On two different occasions I have stopped a line guy from doing the same on mine.

I make it apoint to stand at the plane with the fueler until he/she starts to fuel it just because of situations like that.
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As a former FBO line tech having fueled many, many hundreds (thousands?) of all variety of GA aircraft, I’d guess that 10% were supervised by the aircraft owner or flight crew.

Also in the docket are photos of the fueling ports on the accident aircraft showing all were properly labeled with “avgas/100 octane.”
 
When I was flying a Turboprop for a Commuter there was a time when I was misfueled by the fueler. The fueler drove up with a Jet A truck I told him XX per side, then the FO and I went into Ops. When we came back we discovered that he had put all the fuel into one wing. Fortuneatly we had enough weight available that we could add fuel to the other wing so we could balance the aircraft. That was the last time either the FO or myself didn't supervise fueling at that station.
 
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