Cessna 205 N8157Z

Summary

On 9 May 1999 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 205 registered N8157Z, operated by Robert J. Tangeman, was involved in an accident near Celina, Ohio, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 May 1999 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Celina, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Lakefield Airport (CQA)

Coordinates

40.5507, -84.5709

Aircraft

Cessna 205

Registration

N8157Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert J. Tangeman

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD99FA043

6 people died.

was the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power. Also causal to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after the power loss. A factor in the accident was a lack of published operational or safety procedures for the parachute club and the operator's failure to verify the pilot's medical qualifications.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane departed on a parachuting flight with 5 parachutists on board. Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane during climb out. Each witness described smooth engine noise, brief 'sputtering,' and then a total loss of engine power. The airplane descended straight ahead at the same pitch attitude, then the nose dropped, a parachutist exited, and the airplane entered a spiraling descent. Two more jumpers exited the airplane before ground contact. A review of jump logs and conversation with the operator revealed the pilot flew three lifts of jumpers to approximately 10,000 feet. Each lift was approximately 30 minutes in duration. The accident flight occurred during the fourth lift. The airplane departed on its first lift with 30 gallons of fuel. No fuel was dispensed into the airplane between the first and fourth lift. At the scene, 8 ounces of fuel were drained from the selected tank, and a leak test revealed no leaks. Examination revealed that all fuel system components were operational and there were no pre-impact anomalies. A request for a jump club SOP revealed that no such document existed. The club operator reported that club operations were at his direction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.