Cessna 208B incident near Tunica, Mississippi, April 27, 2004
On April 27, 2004 at about 8:00 am local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N738FX, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tunica, Mississippi. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper use of the emergency power lever which resulted in excessive operating temperatures. A factor was the improper adjustment of the emergency power lever dead band.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2004 · about 8:00 am local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Tunica, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N738FX · registry record
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the check airman, during a demonstration procedure for loss of engine power, the check airman reduced the power lever to idle, turn on the ignition, un-stowed and advanced the emergency power lever (EPL). The check airman felt a vibration and heard a noise. He re-stowed the EPL and advanced the engine power lever. Flames exited the exhaust and the check airman shut down the engine, and made an emergency landing on a nearby road. After landing the airplane the two pilots attempted to remove the airplane from the roadway, and a passing truck struck the left wing of the airplane. Examination of the fuel flow control unit revealed that the EPL lever dead band was 7 degrees below the minimum requirement of 25 to 35 degrees. The fuel flow control unit began fuel flow at 18 degrees of lever travel. The manual override was disassembled and it was found that the plunger, which compresses the bellows, was allowed to contact the bellows prior to the required degrees of travel. Review of the pilot's operating handbook emergency procedures states: When using the emergency power lever, monitor gas generator RPM when reducing power near idle, to keep it from decreasing below 65% in flight. The emergency power lever may have a dead band, such that no engine response is observed during the initial forward travel from idle position.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Federal Express Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 7:38 am
Weather at the time
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 am from MEM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N738FX the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N738FX on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 208 Caravan 1,018 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Mississippi 845 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Mississippi 2,601 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N738FX 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL04IA098.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.