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NTSB Identification: CEN15LA392
14 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Monday, August 31, 2015 in Houston, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 03/14/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA T240, registration: N452CS
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The flight instructor reported that, before the instructional flight with the private pilot began, the fuel tanks were filled to capacity and he visually checked the quantity of the fuel in the tanks during the preflight. The flight instructor reported that, after taking off and completing the instrument flight rules training procedures, they returned to the airport and performed three full-stop landings. During the final takeoff, as the airplane was about 300 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and subsequently conducted a forced landing to a field. The airplane landed, continued moving into trees, and then came to rest upright with the right main landing gear collapsed.
A postaccident examination and three engine test runs were conducted, and no anomies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The left fuel tank was found empty, and the right fuel tank contained about 25 gallons. Although the fuel selector valve was found in the “left off” position, it is likely that the left tank was selected during the accident flight and that the engine was starved of the available fuel.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate fuel management and the flight instructor’s failure to verify the fuel level and fuel selector position in flight.
On August 31, 2015, about 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna T240 airplane, N452CS, made a forced landing after departure from the West Houston Airport (IWS), Houston, Texas. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to H2 Aviation LLC and operated by the West Houston Airport under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The local flight was departing at the time of the accident.
According to the flight instructor, they were conducting an instructional flight which included IFR training procedures. After the IFR training was completed, they returned to IWS and performed three full stop landings. On the final takeoff from IWS, they were about 300 ft above ground level when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor took control and conducted a forced landing to a field beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane landed and continued into trees where it came to rest upright with the right main landing gear collapsed. The instructor secured the airplane and called for assistance using a handheld radio. He reported that before the flight began, the fuel tanks were filled to capacity, which was 102 usable gallons. During the preflight inspection, the fuel quantity was verified and there were no contaminants observed. During the flight, both pilots switched the fuel selector in order to maintain fuel balance in the left and right tanks. Before the final takeoff, the fuel quantity gauges reportedly indicated 20 gallons on the left and 21 gallons on the right. Prior to the loss of power there were no digital or aural warnings noted from the crew-alerting system (CAS). He reported that the flight only lasted 1.81 hours and the average fuel consumption was 30 gallons per hour (gph); the airplane would have consumed about 54 of the 102 available gallons, leaving 48 gallons remaining.
Several law enforcement officers arrived shortly after the accident and secured the scene. It was reported that fuel was leaking from the right wing fuel vent at the accident site. A plug was placed in the vent and no other fuel leakage was reportedly observed. The amount of fuel that leaked from the right tank was unknown.
The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that after the accident, the fuel selector knob was on the left OFF position and the emergency fuel pump was ON. The investigation could not determine when the emergency fuel pump was switched to ON.
According to the FAA air traffic control (ATC) report, the airplane departed about 0953, the IFR flight plan was canceled at 1151 and the accident occurred about 39 minutes later. The flight was about 2.5 hours total. Using the pilot's average fuel consumption number (30 gph), the airplane would have consumed about 75 of the 102 available gallons, leaving 27 gallons remaining.
On September 10, 2015, three engine test runs were conducted under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The Continental Motors engine remained attached to the airframe with no significant damage noted. The accident propeller had been replaced with another propeller for the test runs. The engine oil level was noted at 5 quarts. The airplane master switch was turned ON and the left fuel quantity gauge indicated 0 gallons, the right fuel quantity gauge indicated 25 gallons. All three test runs were conducted with the remaining fuel in the right tank. During the first engine run, the engine was warmed up at idle and a magneto check was completed in accordance with the checklist. No anomalies were noted. The engine power was then increased to 25 inches of mercury (in.hg) manifold pressure (MAP) and the engine was allowed to stabilize. The throttle was then advanced to the full forward position. Due to the condition of the engine mounts, it had been predetermined that after full power was reached the throttle would be reduced back to 25 in.hg MAP. As the throttle was reduced, a propeller pitch oscillation was noted. The engine was subsequently allowed to stabilize and cool down at idle before it was shut down in accordance with the checklist. Due to the pitch oscillation, a second engine run was conducted. During this run, a magneto check was again completed and the propeller was cycled. The engine was again advanced to maximum power. No propeller oscillation was heard during the throttle reduction. The engine power was set to 25 in.hg MAP and the electric boost pump was actuated. The engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. A third engine run was conducted. With the engine at 25 in.hg MAP, the fuel selector was moved to the LEFT tank position; within one minute the engine experienced a total loss of power. The digital instruments and CAS functioned normally during the engine runs. The engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
As stated pilot's operating handbook, if the emergency fuel pump switch is switched to the ON position with the engine-driven fuel pump operating normally, total loss of engine power may occur. The engine manufacturer stated that when the engine is producing high power and the emergency fuel pump is ON, the engine can generally handle the extra fuel and the engine won't lose power. If the engine is at a lower power setting and the emergency fuel pump is ON, the engine is more likely to lose power.
http://registry.faa.gov/N452CS
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 31, 2015 in Houston, TX
Aircraft: CESSNA T240, registration: N452CS
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 31, 2015, about 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna T240 airplane, N452CS, made a forced landing after departure from the West Houston Airport (IWS), Houston, Texas. The flight instructor and private pilot under instruction were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to H2 Aviation LLC and operated by the West Houston Airport as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operated an in instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the flight instructor they were performing the last touch-and go landing. They had just departed from IWS and were about 200-300 ft. above the ground when the engine experienced a loss of power. The flight instructor conducted a forced landing into a field beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane landed and continued into trees where it came to rest upright.
The airplane has been retained for further examination.
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Houston FSDO-09
WEST HOUSTON (Covering Katy) – A Cessna TTx T240 airplane force landed in a section of Cullen Park near the runway of the West Houston Airport early Monday afternoon. There were no injuries according to Houston Police.
The plane crashed in a field designated as an “airport safety area” across the street from the airport runway, inside Cullen Park.
Houston Police say there were two men flying in the aircraft when it went down. A Texas State Trooper who was also on the scene told Covering Katy the men said their engine failed shortly after takeoff.
There was a small amount of debris in the field where the plane crashed. It came to rest against a small tree where the field ends and the brush and trees begin.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board have been alerted and an investigator is expected to be at the scene later today.
The Westlake Fire Department also responded to the scene.
A small plane force landed Monday afternoon in a wooded area near West Houston Airport.
Harris County sheriff's deputies and Westlake Volunteer Fire Department firefighters responded to a location near the airport at 18000 Groschke Road in west Harris County.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said two men inside the plane were practicing a touch-and go landing when they experienced engine failure.
They were able to land the plane but it went off the runway.
Sky 2 aerials show the Cessna TTx T240 plane rested partially in some brush about 1/4 mile away from the airport runway.
DPS said no one was injured.
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