Summary
On December 17, 2011, a Cessna 208 (N275PM) was involved in an accident near Mesquite, NV. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Prior to the flight, the pilot fueled the airplane with 16 gallons of jet fuel. He planned on making two local flights carrying skydivers aloft. During the second skydiving flight he delayed releasing the skydivers due to traffic in the area. As he turned the plane back towards the drop zone the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot signaled the skydivers to exit the airplane, feathered the propeller, and executed an attempted forced landing to the runway. The airplane landed long, went off the end of the runway, across a road, and finally came to rest on a golf course. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR12CA069. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N275PM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
Prior to the flight, the pilot fueled the airplane with 16 gallons of jet fuel. He planned on making two local flights carrying skydivers aloft. During the second skydiving flight he delayed releasing the skydivers due to traffic in the area. As he turned the plane back towards the drop zone the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot signaled the skydivers to exit the airplane, feathered the propeller, and executed an attempted forced landing to the runway. The airplane landed long, went off the end of the runway, across a road, and finally came to rest on a golf course. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. He also stated that the cause of the loss of engine power was poor fuel management and fuel exhaustion.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR12CA069