On September 13, 1985, a Cessna 421B (registration N88DM) was involved in an aviation accident near Olathe, KS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of power in the right engine during takeoff due to an undetermined fuel system malfunction. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft overran the end of a runway and struck a post after an engine lost power during takeoff. Post-accident testing revealed the right engine required manual priming to operate.
What happened
During the takeoff roll on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, the right engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot aborted the takeoff but was unable to stop the aircraft in time. The airplane continued past the end of the runway, crossing two ditches and a road before passing through a fence and striking a post located in a field.
The investigation
Following the accident, investigators conducted tests on the right engine. These tests demonstrated that the engine would only run when it was manually primed with fuel. Despite these findings, the specific component within the fuel system responsible for the malfunction could not be identified.
Probable cause
The loss of power in the right engine during takeoff due to an undetermined fuel system malfunction.