N1552TCessna 414 · 1972

On June 26, 2014, about 0457 central daylight time, a Cessna 414 airplane, N1552T, was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire following a loss of control during landing approach to runway 34, at the Creve Coeur Airport (1H0), near Maryland Heights, Missouri. The pilot received serious injuries during the accident. The aircraft was registered to Tango Two Aviation, LLC and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. An instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed but not yet activated. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and the intended destination was Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The pilot reported that he performed a normal pre-flight inspection and pre-takeoff run-up of the airplane before the flight. He then departed from runway 16, intending to open the instrument flight plan once airborne. About 15 to 20 seconds after rotation, when the airplane was about 400 to 500 feet above ground level (agl), the left front baggage door opened. The pilot stated that he leveled the airplane and turned to a right crosswind with the intention of landing on runway 16 so that he could close the baggage door and then continue the flight. Shortly after turning downwind for runway 16, the left engine stopped producing power. The pilot stated that while in the process of feathering the left engine, and maintaining airspeed, the airplane struck power lines and then the ground. The airplane exploded during the impact sequence.

During a postaccident examination of the airplane, fire and impact damage of the wreckage prevented a comprehensive determination of all aircraft systems. Partial continuity of the flight control system was confirmed. The instrument panel and cabin section of the airplane were consumed by the post-impact fire. The majority of the fuel system components were consumed by the post-impact fire. The postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.

The airplane's engines were transported to the manufacturer's facility for further examination. It was determined that too much damage had been incurred to the right engine making a test run of that engine unfeasible. As a result, the right engine was subjected to a teardown examination. The teardown examination revealed no preimpact anomalies.

The airplane's left engine was sufficiently intact, allowing an engine run to be attempted in a test cell at the manufacturer's facilities. Due to damage incurred in the accident sequence, several components of the engine's fuel system were replaced with surrogate units prior to the engine test run. During the test run, the engine started normally, and produced full rated power. It was noted during the engine run that the fuel pump pressure and flow were high and the engine test was completed with the mixture manually leaned to the proper fuel flow settings. The fuel pump was subsequently tested on a flow bench and the test readings indicated that the fuel pump was set high (rich) when compared to the engine manufacturer's production test specifications. The higher than normal fuel flow could have resulted in reduced power due to a richer than normal fuel mixture but would not have accounted for a complete loss of engine power. Additionally, it was not possible to determine if the fuel pump output as installed in the airframe was within specifications due to differences between the airframe installation and that of the test cell. No further abnormalities in engine operation were noted during the test run.