Beechcraft D45 N342MN

Summary

On 2 August 2006 at about 12:47 local time, a Beechcraft D45 registered N342MN was involved in an accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2006 at 12:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Bainbridge, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Decatur Co Industrial Air Park (BGE)

Coordinates

30.7996, -84.4994

Aircraft

Beechcraft D45

Registration

N342MN

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bainbridge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL06LA114

1 person had minor injuries.

The improper maintenance installation of the fuel inlet line by other maintenance personnel resulting in a partial loss of engine power after takeoff due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was on initial climb from runway 27, at 50 feet and 80 knots, when the engine started a "popping" noise and the engine had a partial loss of power. The pilot turned the boost pump on, the "popping" noise continued, and he made a right turn towards runway 14. The airspeed decreased to between 58 to 60 knots. The airplane stalled, collided with the ground, and a post crash fire ensued. The Beech Model D45 Flight Manual states the airplane will stall at 71 mph with a 0-degree angle of bank, and at 73 mph with a 20-degree angle of bank. The right main fuel tank was consumed by fire. Fuel samples were taken from the header tank and the left wing fuel tank. The samples were forwarded to a petroleum laboratory for further analysis. Examination of the fuel samples revealed the fuel would not have caused a loss of engine power or malfunction. Review of the engine logbook revealed the engine was overhauled on May 30, 2006, and the engine has been operated for 15 hours since it was reinstalled on the airplane. Examination of the engine revealed the fuel inlet (unmetered pressure) line was crossed with the fuel return (to fuel pump) line on the engine fuel pump. The fuel lines were repositioned and an engine run was initiated. The engine started and ran smoothly at 1,000 rpm. The rpm was increased to 2,200 rpm with no anomalies. The engine was not increased to full operating rpm due to damage to the airframe. The engine was shut down with the mixture control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.