OpenAirDocs.org

19970906025549A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Gulstm 500-A · Ketchikan, AK · September 6, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 6, 1997 · 13:00 local
Place
Ketchikan, AK
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N543AN
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC97FA143
Reported as
Gulstm 500A
Reported engine
Continental IO470M
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
2,577 total81 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N543ANRegistration cancelled Jun 18, 1998 · Aero Commander 500-AS/N 500A90817Airframe modelAero Commander 500-A

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft broke up in flight. Cause of breakup begin investigated. (From .4) the aircraft had an in-flight breakup when the left wing and tail section separated. Postaccident inspection revealed a right engine main fuel supply line progressive rupture, only trace amounts of fuel in the fuel lines, and no rotational damage to the right engine. Preaccident, long term, fuel leak evidence surrounded the ruptured line. The right propeller was not feathered. The left wing d-tube rib at station 127 exhibited compressive buckling. Left wing fractures were upward, and horizontal stabilizer deformation was downward. During an actual loss of engine power in the airplane 17 months before this accident, the pilot had feathered the incorrect propeller. Both a mechanic, and an FAA safety counselor, who were familiar with the pilot, described him as able to be disoriented, and reliant on GPS for navigation. He had stated five months before the accident that he did not feel his instrument flying skills were proficient, and desired training. On the day of the accident, weather was visual meteorological conditions, with layered clouds above 2,200 feet mean sea level. The pilot stated to the FAA weather briefer that he wanted to make the flight under visual conditions. The flight route and altitude was unknown.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT BROKE UP IN FLIGHT. CAUSE OF BREAKUP BEGIN INVESTIGATED. (FROM .4) THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP WHEN THE LEFT WING AND TAIL SECTION SEPARATED. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A RIGHT ENGINE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE PROGRESSIVE RUPTURE, ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN THE FUEL LINES, AND NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE. PREACCIDENT, LONG TERM, FUEL LEAK EVIDENCE SURROUNDED THE RUPTURED LINE. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED. THE LEFT WING D-TUBE RIB AT STATION 127 EXHIBITED COMPRESSIVE BUCKLING. LEFT WING FRACTURES WERE UPWARD, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER DEFORMATION WAS DOWNWARD. DURING AN ACTUAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN THE AIRPLANE 17 MONTHS BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD FEATHERED THE INCORRECT PROPELLER. BOTH A MECHANIC, AND AN FAA SAFETY COUNSELOR, WHO WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PILOT, DESCRIBED HIM AS ABLE TO BE DISORIENTED, AND RELIANT ON GPS FOR NAVIGATION. HE HAD STATED FIVE MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THAT HE DID NOT FEEL HIS INSTRUMENT FLYING SKILLS WERE PROFICIENT, AND DESIRED TRAINING. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, WEATHER WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WITH LAYERED CLOUDS ABOVE 2,200 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE PILOT STATED TO THE FAA WEATHER BRIEFER THAT HE WANTED TO MAKE THE FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT ROUTE AND ALTITUDE WAS UNKNOWN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97FA143Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportKetchikan, AKThe rupture of the right engine fuel supply line as a result of inadequate inspection by the pilot/mechanic, and the pilot's excessive pull up which resulted in exceeding the design stress limits of the airplane. Factors were the improper emergency procedures…Sep 6, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N543AN · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19960402021469IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Oklahoma City, OKNarrative: the pilot stated that on a flight from lafayette, la to albuquerque, n.m. he stopped and refueled at okmulgee, Oklahoma. He then departed okmulgee and climbed to 8500 ft and leveled off. The right engine quit after he leveled off and he feathered…Apr 2, 1996 · Minor damage