Accident Overview
A skydiving flight carrying a pilot and 16 jumpers lost engine power at approximately 300 feet above ground level during initial climb. The aircraft banked steeply left, entered a steep nose-down spiral, and crashed. All 17 occupants were killed.
Fuel Contamination
Post-crash examination revealed that the fuel tanks contained water and foreign material resembling brown algae. The engine fuel control unit held a milky fluid composed of approximately 65% jet fuel and 34% water, along with iron contaminants. Fuel filters contained dark stringy material. The aircraft had been refueled from 55-gallon drums that were stored upright; rain water could leak through the filler caps. The aircraft, registration N551CC, had a history of fuel contamination that occasionally triggered the fuel bypass indicator.
Weight and Balance Issues
The aircraft was estimated to be 370 pounds over its maximum weight limit and 1 foot forward of the center of gravity limit. Nine passenger seats had been removed to accommodate up to 18 jumpers, and seat belts were not used by the occupants.
Disabled Warning System
According to reports, the stall warning circuit breaker had been disengaged on previous flights to avoid startling the jumpers. Due to impact damage, its pre-impact position could not be verified.
Lack of FAA Surveillance
The investigation noted a lack of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) surveillance of the operator.
Official Findings
The official findings attributed the accident to three occurrences: loss of engine power (total) due to fuel contamination and blocked filters; loss of control in flight due to pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in inadvertent stall and spiral, compounded by the aircraft being overweight and forward of CG, and a disabled stall warning; and in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors included improper maintenance, operation with known deficiencies, and inadequate FAA surveillance.