Cessna 208B N9793B

Summary

On 5 March 2003 at about 19:50 local time, a Cessna 208B registered N9793B was involved in an accident near Creswell, Oregon, United States. 4 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

5 March 2003 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Creswell, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

43.9103, -123.0075

Aircraft

Cessna 208B

Registration

N9793B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Creswell → Cottage Grove

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA03LA043

Nobody was injured.

Water contamination in the fuel system which resulted in a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff, and the pilot's inadequate pre-flight inspection. Trees were a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that prior to takeoff he drained the main lower sump, but not the wing sumps, as was company policy. The pilot stated that he was told by the mechanic that "constant use of the wing sumps causes them to leak, and also causes damage to the fuel cells that is hard to repair." The pilot also reported that the airplane had been fueled a few days prior to the flight from a 55 gallon barrel by an electric pump at the company's fueling facility. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to an open field. During the landing roll the airplane collided with trees. Post accident inspection of the aircraft found that fuel samples taken from the sumps produced a pint of cloudy, watery substance that was drained from the left wing sump, a mixture of cloudy and clear fuel was drained from the engine fuel sump, and clear jet fuel from the right wing sump. The inspector traveled to the fueling facility and checked the pump glass fuel filter cover, observing it to be half full of what appeared to be water. Two 55 gallon barrels were sitting outside in the rain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.