Early in my multi-engine flight training in the Cessna 310, the instructor and I practiced the required maneuvers, including loss of an engine on takeoff, as well as an engine failure in cruise. To this day I remember Dave telling me to consider a cruise engine failure just as seriously as the one at takeoff from one simple perspective—that whatever killed the first engine might soon claim the second.
Citation 550 Crew Experiences Double Engine Failure
Key Takeaways:
- A chartered Cessna Citation 550 air ambulance experienced a total dual-engine power loss at 35,000 feet, but the flight crew successfully performed a no-engine landing with all occupants unharmed.
- The NTSB investigation determined the engine failures were caused by inadvertent contamination of the Jet-A fuel with Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), which a ground crew member mistakenly mixed into the fuel truck instead of a fuel system icing inhibitor.
- DEF reacts with jet fuel to form crystalline deposits that clog fuel system components, leading to engine power loss, and the NTSB has issued alerts regarding similar DEF contamination incidents at other airports.
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