Canadair CL=601-3A accident near Bassett, Nebraska, March 20, 1994
On March 20, 1994 at about 6:36 am local time, a Canadair CL=601-3A, registered N88HA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bassett, Nebraska (Rock County Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot in command's inadequate planning/decision making and inadequate preflight inspection after receiving a load of contaminated fuel. Related factors are the contaminated fuel, improper refueling by FBO personnel, and the dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 1994 · about 6:36 am local time
- Place
- Bassett, Nebraska · Rock County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL=601-3A
- Registration
- N88HA · registry record · serial 5072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOTS FLEW TO LAWRENCE, MA TO REFUEL FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT BACK TO THE WEST COAST. THEY STATED THE FUEL TRUCK MALFUNCTIONED AND STOPPED AFTER IT HAD PUMPED ABOUT 221 GALS INTO THE AIRPLANE. THEY WERE WARNED ABOUT POSSIBLE FUEL CONTAMINATION, BUT THEY REPORTED SUMP SAMPLES DID NOT REVEAL ABNORMAL AMOUNTS OF WATER. THE PILOTS OBSERVED ERRONEOUS FUEL TOTALIZER INDICATIONS DURING THE LOW ALT FLIGHT TO BURLINGTON, VT, WHERE THEY TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. THE FLIGHT CREW STATED WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL410, THE LEFT ENG LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SOMETIME LATER, THE LEFT ENG LOST POWER, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER IN THE RIGHT ENG. NUMEROUS RESTART ATTEMPTS ON BOTH ENGINES AND THE APU WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOTS MANEUVERED TOWARDS THE NEAREST AIRPORT, BUT WERE UNABLE TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY THE RUNWAY IN TIME TO LAND ON IT. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD, STRIKING AN IRRIGATION STRUCTURE & TREES. WATER-CONTAMINATED FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS, FUEL FILTERS, AND THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,110 hours in all; 2,570 in this make and model; 169 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 6,060 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,109 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 16, 1994; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 45,100 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF34-3A2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Crystal Air And Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BVT Burlington VT at 3:28 am
- Destination: LGB Long Beach CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 am from VTN, 46 miles away
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 N88HA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.