Temco D-16A accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota, October 5, 2009
On October 5, 2009 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Temco D-16A, registered N124N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of left engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the failure of the engine's electric fuel pump end cap gasket, which allowed air to be drawn into the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2009 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eden Prairie, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Temco D-16A · all D-16As on the register
- Registration
- N124N · registry record · serial TTN-60
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just undergone its annual maintenance inspection. The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight in the twin-engine airplane about 600 feet above ground level when the left engine stopped producing power. He completed the shutdown checklist for the left engine and feathered the propeller. He applied full power to the right engine, but the airplane continued to lose altitude. He executed a forced landing to a large wooded area away from houses. Numerous witnesses reported that they heard and/or saw the airplane as it flew overhead at a low altitude. All reported hearing a loud engine noise without any sputtering. One witness reported that the left propeller was not turning. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the electric fuel pump found in the left engine nacelle exhibited blue staining on the top surface of the pump. The blue staining was consistent with a fuel leak. The test of the electric fuel pump revealed that the end cap gasket had failed, which allowed air to be drawn into the system by both the electric and engine-driven fuel pumps, thus starving the engine of fuel.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 44,385 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 425,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,387 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-340-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Anoka MN at 4:40 pm
- Destination: FCM Eden Prairie MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MSP, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10LA004.