Piper PA-31 accident near Greenfield, Indiana, September 30, 1999
On September 30, 1999 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-31, registered CGHOL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, Indiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the FBO employee improperly refueled the airplane with Jet A fuel instead of 100LL and the inadequate preflight by the pilot-in-command in that he failed to drain the fuel tanks during the preflight. Factors related to the accident were the low altitude at which the loss of power took place and the rough terrain on which the forced landing was made.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1999 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- CGHOL · no longer on the register · serial 31-7401238
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A loss of power was experienced on both engines during the initial takeoff climb. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing in a plowed corn field. Post accident inspection revealed the airplane had been refueled with 101.5 gallons of Jet A fuel instead of 100LL fuel. The FBO employee who refueled the airplane reported using a rubberized adapter to get the fuel nozzle to fit into the inlet. He reported the captain did not specify what type of fuel should be added to the airplane, only the quantity. The captain did not drain the fuel tanks during the aircraft preflight nor did he notice the smell of Jet A when he visually inspected the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks prior to takeoff. The first officer, who signed for payment of the fuel, did not notice the type of fuel added which was noted on the Master Receipt and the invoice.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,217 hours in all; 617 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 809 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,930 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 1, 1999; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MQJ at 9:55 pm
- Destination: YKF Waterloo, Ont.
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from IND, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.