Accident Overview
On June 20, 2011, at approximately 1240 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 402, registration N3278Q, impacted terrain after a rejected takeoff at Caldwell Independent Airport in Caldwell, Idaho. The flight was a local skydiving operation conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and it was in the takeoff sequence at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he taxied from the airplane's normal parking location to pick up eight skydivers for the first drop of the day. After boarding, he taxied to the active runway, completed the pre-takeoff checklist and engine run-up, then initiated the takeoff roll. The airplane lifted off, and the pilot raised the landing gear. Immediately after gear retraction, the right engine experienced a complete loss of power. With runway remaining, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff and pulled the left engine throttle to idle to keep the airplane upright. Due to low altitude and uncertainty about timely gear extension, the pilot chose not to extend the landing gear before the airplane settled onto the grass and dirt runway. During touchdown and slide over rough/soft terrain, the airframe sustained substantial damage.
Injuries and Damage
The commercial pilot and one passenger received minor injuries; the remaining seven passengers were not injured. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage to its fuselage.
Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the right engine included the exhaust assembly, air induction assembly, magnetos and ignition assembly, spark plugs, fuel pump, fuel manifold valve, fuel lines and injection nozzles, air throttle assembly, fuel metering unit, lubrication system, oil filter, cylinders, rocker assemblies, accessory drive gear, alternator, and turbocharger. The examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation or production of rated horsepower.
Fuel System Findings
After the drain plug was removed from the right fuel tank to drain remaining fuel, three pieces of a latex-like thin film material were recovered. One piece was cylindrical, the other two flat sheets; all were irregular, seamless, translucent, light green/grey, and very flexible. Each piece was large enough to block the 1.375-inch wide fuel boost pump inlet screen orifice. In a jar of 100 low-lead aviation fuel, all pieces sank. It was not determined when or how the material entered the tank.
Laboratory Analysis
Two of the three pieces were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory. Analysis determined the material thickness was 0.002 inches, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer analysis indicated the material was most likely poly-isoprene, also known as synthetic rubber.