Cessna 402 Safety Record

The airplane manufacturer’s inadequate inspection procedures, resulting in the undetected fatigue cracking of the right upper barrel and trunnion assembly.

The pilot's decision to continue the approach with a known anomaly with the left airspeed indicator. Contributing to the accident was an undetermined malfunction of the left airspeed indicator and the condition of the runway, resulting in decreased braking capability.

The pilot's decision to depart on a snow covered runway, which resulted in a loss of control and encounter with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the airport manager's failure to adhere to the Airport Certification Manual and close the runway due to unsafe snow accumulation.

The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather and icing conditions, and his failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the accumulation of airframe ice and the strong, gusting crosswinds.

The pilot's failure to recognize that both engines were being supplied fuel only from the right main fuel tank, resulting in fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine power from both engines. Contributing to the incident were the pilot's inability to properly position the left fuel selector valve and the airplane operator's misinterpretation of the manufacturer's service recommendations to lubricate the fuel selector detents.

The airplane manufacturer's inadequate inspection procedure resulting in undetected fatigue cracking of the main landing gear barrel of the upper barrel and trunnion assembly.

A partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to add only a limited amount of fuel prior to the flight, and the fuel selector valve placards' inaccurate depiction of the airplane fuel tank configuration.

A loss of power to both engines resulting from a fitting failure and leak at the right fuel selector valve that allowed fuel from the right tank to be lost overboard, and that then introduced air into the left engine's fuel lines during an attempted cross-feed operation.

The failure of the right main landing gear linkage during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and the collapse of the right main landing gear. A factor associated with the accident was the failure of company maintenance personnel to comply with a maintenance service letter issued by the airplane manufacturer.

The failure of both pilots to adequately scan for and avoid other aircraft traffic during taxi operations, and the failure of Air Traffic Control to issue a traffic advisory to both of the pilots. A contributing factor to the accident was the night time light conditions.

The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with an airport runway sign, and subsequent collapse of the nose gear. A factor contributing to the accident was a thunderstorm.

The failure of the pilot to use on-board weather radar equipment for weather avoidance and the pilot's continued operation into known adverse weather conditions, resulting in injury to passengers.

The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude, which led to him landing short of the runway and impacting the runway's elevated lip. Contributing factors were the elevated runway lip and the right main landing gear failure.