Cessna 401 accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, June 24, 1989
On June 24, 1989 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 401, registered N8271F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raleigh, North Carolina (Triple "W" airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER MAINTENANCE BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE (RICH MIXTURE). A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE WORN/UNSERVICEABLE INTERNAL LOCK NUT IN THE FUEL PUMP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1989 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Raleigh, North Carolina · Triple "W"
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401 · all 401s on the register
- Registration
- N8271F · no longer on the register · serial 245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG TAKEOFF, THE RGT ENG LOST PWR AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU APRX 50' AGL. HE ELECTED TO SHUT DOWNBOTH ENGS & ABORT THE TAKEOFF BY LANDING WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. THE ACFT SKIDDED OFF THE RGT SIDE OF THE RWY. AN EXAM OF THE RGT ENG REVEALED HVY SOOTING OF THE SPARK PLUGS & EXHAUST SYS. WHEN THE RGT ENG WAS RESTARTED AFTER THE ACDNT, IT INITIALLY RAN ROUGH, APPEARED TO HAVE A RICH MIXTURE & BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM THE EXHAUST. EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE WAS NOTED. THE FUEL INJECTOR PUMP WAS CHANGED, THEN THE ENG RAN NORMALLY. AN INSPN OF THE PUMP REVEALED THE LOW PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT BOLT COULD BE ROTATED WITH FINGERS. DISASSEMBLY OF THE PUMP DISCLOSED THE INTERNAL LOCK NUT WAS WORN & UNSERVICEABLE. MAINT RECORDS SHOWED THAT ENG PROBLEMS HAD BEEN RPRTD ON PREVIOUS FLTS. ON 6/21/89, THE (RIGHT ENG) TURBOCONTROLLER & FUEL PUMP WERE ADJUSTED FOR BOTH HIGH & LOW PRESSURES. PROCEDURES AT THE MAINT FACILITY FOR TURBOCHARGED ENGS WERE NOT IAW TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL SVC BULLETIN M89-10.
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
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,479 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 1,479 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,633 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1988; 199 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; scat
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from RDU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.