Piper PA-31 CGHOL

Summary

On 30 September 1999 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA-31 registered CGHOL was involved in an accident near Greenfield, Indiana, United States. 7 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 September 1999 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenfield, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

39.7903, -85.7710

Aircraft

Piper PA-31

Registration

CGHOL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Waterloo, Ont.

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA357

Nobody was injured.

the FBO employee improperly refueled the airplane with Jet A fuel instead of 100LL and the inadequate preflight by the pilot-in-command in that he failed to drain the fuel tanks during the preflight. Factors related to the accident were the low altitude at which the loss of power took place and the rough terrain on which the forced landing was made.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A loss of power was experienced on both engines during the initial takeoff climb. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing in a plowed corn field. Post accident inspection revealed the airplane had been refueled with 101.5 gallons of Jet A fuel instead of 100LL fuel. The FBO employee who refueled the airplane reported using a rubberized adapter to get the fuel nozzle to fit into the inlet. He reported the captain did not specify what type of fuel should be added to the airplane, only the quantity. The captain did not drain the fuel tanks during the aircraft preflight nor did he notice the smell of Jet A when he visually inspected the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks prior to takeoff. The first officer, who signed for payment of the fuel, did not notice the type of fuel added which was noted on the Master Receipt and the invoice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.