Accident Overview
On January 23, 2014, at approximately 1430 central standard time, a Cessna 414A airplane, registration N414CJ, experienced a loss of engine power near Ashland, Missouri. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Alelco, Inc., under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.
Preflight and Departure
The flight originated from Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (KCBF), Council Bluffs, Iowa, at 1326, and was destined for Jefferson City Memorial Airport (KJEF), Jefferson City, Missouri. The pilot reported that at 0700 on the morning of the accident, a preflight inspection was completed with no anomalies noted and no water observed in the fuel sumps. The pilot then flew from KJEF to KCBF at 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl), where the outside air temperature (OAT) was about negative 11 degrees Celsius. No anomalies were noted during that flight.
While on the ground at KCBF about 1030, the airplane was filled with 74 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The OAT at KCBF was negative 4 degrees Celsius. At 1130, the pilot started both engines and let them run for about 10 minutes to prevent cold soaking. This process was repeated at 1300. Without another preflight inspection, the pilot and two passengers departed for KJEF about 1330.
Flight Events
During cruise flight at 15,000 feet msl, where the OAT was negative 19 degrees Celsius, the pilot noticed "a very quick/short miss" in one engine but could not identify a specific problem. This occurred again during initial descent.
During the descent to KJEF, at about 7,000 feet msl, the pilot noted that the engines became out of sync and the airplane yawed as if an engine had lost power. The left engine then began to lose power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot but was unable to remedy the issue. He secured the left engine, feathered the propeller, and advised air traffic control (ATC) of the situation. Subsequently, the right engine began to lose power and eventually would only produce idle power. Unable to maintain altitude and reach the intended airport, the pilot elected to conduct a forced landing into a field.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination was conducted by the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and representatives from the engine and airframe manufacturers. The examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The fuel manifold valves on both engines contained pieces of ice. The fuel strainer bowls both contained significant amounts of ice. The ice in the left fuel strainer bowl measured 1 3/8 inches thick. Additionally, the fuel strainer screen contained ice. Fuel from both tanks was sampled and tested and was negative for water contamination. Fuel samples taken from the fuel supply at KCBF were also negative for water contamination.