Cessna 414 accident near Taft, CA
On July 19, 1994, a Cessna 414 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Taft, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 19, 1994
- Place
- Taft, CA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.540°N, 118.910°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X01769
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 19, 1994, about 1420 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 414, N414RH, operated by Rogers Helicopters, Inc., of Clovis, California, was destroyed during takeoff at Taft, California. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations as an air medical flight that was in response to a medical emergency. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The patient being transported expired from injuries sustained in the accident about 10 hours after the accident. The pilot and two medical attendants received serious injuries. The flight had been dispatched from Fresno, California, to Taft, about 115 miles south, to transport the patient back to Fresno for hospitalization. According to the information obtained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the first takeoff at Fresno had been aborted when a nose baggage door came open. Prior to landing at Taft, the pilot called the UNICOM radio for landing advisories. The pilot was advised that runway 25 was being used for landing. Runway 25 has a 2.2 percent upslope with the far end about 100 feet higher than the approach end, and is restricted by the airport for landing only. After the patient was loaded on board the airplane, the pilot back-taxied on runway 07 to the beginning of runway 25. The pilot proceeded to depart uphill on runway 25. Ground witnesses reported that the winds were from the east at speeds variously estimated between 4 knots and 15 knots at the time of the takeoff attempt. The witnesses reported that after lift-off the
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION AND SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UPHILL SLOPE OF THE RUNWAY, TAILWIND, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE THE FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF.
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Browse: California · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
