# Accident 19971006045479A: Beech G18S, Crosbyton, TX, October 6, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 6, 1997, 18:30 local time - Place: Crosbyton, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: KVJA - Location: 33.6410° N, 101.2297° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6410&lon=-101.2297&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9312Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9312Y-2017-04-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech G18S (registry code 1151010, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-g18s) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH G18S - Reported engine: PWA R985AN1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,222 total, 1,328 in this make and model, 237 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA007) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971006045479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4) ON OCTOBER 6, 1997, AT 1830 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH G18S AIRPLANE, N9312Y, OWNED AND OPERATED BY MAY AIR EXPRESS OF NEW BOSTON, TEXAS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, NEAR CROSBYTON, TEXAS. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 135 AIR CARGO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LUBBOCK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LUBBOCK, TEXAS, AT 1730. THE PILOT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) AND DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH A FAA INSPECTOR. HE STATED THAT, WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 9,000 FEET MSL, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER," WHICH HE SUSPECTED TO BE DUE TO "CARBURETOR ICE." HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE "DEPLOYED THE MANIFOLD HEAT" BUT "ENCOUNTERED MECHANICAL TROUBLE MOVING THE LEVER ALL THE WAY DOWN (HEAT ON)." AFTER "A FEW MINUTES" THEN HE SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER TO "LET THE ICE MELT." HE "REPEATEDLY" ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT THE PROPELLER "WOULD NOT UNFEATHER." DURING THE "WHOLE ORDEAL" THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR A DESCENT RATE LESS THAN "200 FEET PER MINUTE," AND THE AIRCRAFT KEPT BUFFETING ON THE EDGE OF A STALL. HE STATED THAT, AFTER THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER, HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE TO THE CROSBYTON AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO GRASS COVERED TERRAIN IN A CANYON ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. HE REPORTED THAT THE TOUCH DOWN WAS "HARD BUT SMOOTH [AND THEN THE AIRPLANE] STRUCK UNEVEN GROUND." ACCORDING TO RECORDED TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN THE PILOT AND LUBBOCK APPROACH CONTROL, THE PILOT NOTIFIED THE CONTROLLER AT LUBBOCK APPROACH THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM INVOLVING "MANIFOLD ICING," AND HE WOULD BE LANDING AT CROSBYTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CROSBYTON, TEXAS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FOUND THAT THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE, FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FORWARD, WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. BOTH ENGINE NACELLES WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE WINGS AND THE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL REMAINED INTACT. HE REPORTED THAT THE HINGE FOR THE ALTERNATE AIR DOOR ON THE LEFT ENGINE WAS ATTACHED, BUT THE ALTERNATE AIR DOOR(PART NUMBER, 18-970011-25) WAS MISSING. HE STATED THAT THE HINGE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DAMAGED OR DISTORTED. THE ALTERNATE AIR DOOR WAS NOT FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE ALTERNATE AIR DOOR WAS ALSO MISSING FROM ITS HINGE(WHICH WAS NOT DAMAGED). ACCORDING TO THE FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, A MISSING ALTERNATE AIR DOOR ON THE CARBURETOR AIR BOX WOULD ALLOW AMBIENT AIR TO ENTER THE CARBURETOR, RENDERING THE CARBURETOR HEAT SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE LUBBOCK AIRPORT, LOCATED 32 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE; WINDS FROM 140 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT 800 FEET, A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AT 1,600 FEET, AND AN OVERCAST CLOUD LAYER AT 11,000 FEET. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 64 DEGREES AND THE DEW POINT WAS 63 DEGREES. ACCORDING TO CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, THE REPORTED TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT VALUES WOULD BE FAVORABLE TO THE FORMATION OF INDUCTION SYSTEM ICING. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT(NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 3,222 HOURS, OF WHICH 1,328 WERE IN THE BEECH 18. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED 650 HOURS OF NIGHT FLIGHT TIME, OF WHICH 180 HOURS WERE IN THE BEECH 18. (-23) ON OCTOBER 6, 1997, A BEECHCRAFT G185, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MAY AIR EXPRESS, INC. (KVJA) AS BEECHNUT 1061, DEPARTED LBB FOR FTW ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THIRTY MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ATP RATED PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND ENCOUNTERING CARBURETOR ICE IN THE LEFT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASH LANDED 5 MILES NE OF CROSBYTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES TO BOTH ANKLES. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PN# 18-970011-25 DOOR (CARBURETOR AIR) WAS MISSING WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR FULL CARBURETOR HEAT. FURTHER, THE SAME PART WAS MISSING FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE. AN INSPECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED OF THE OPERATOR'S WHOLE FLEET FOR MISSING CARB AIR DOORS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE ACCIDENT. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98LA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA007), Oct 6, 1997: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Crosbyton, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate maintenance which resulted in diminished carburetor heat effectiveness due to missing alternate air doors. Contributing were conducive carburetor icing weather conditions, low ceilings… ## Other reports on N9312Y (6) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19970614019419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970614019419I), Jun 14, 1997: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Midland, TX, Minor damage. Narrative: on final approach to Midland, this ATP pilot put the gear down and got a green light, however, he heard an unusual grinding sound. A fly-by the… - [Incident 19960621025539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960621025539I), Jun 21, 1996: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Fort Smith, AR, Minor damage. Narrative: on may 30, 1996, at 2039 CDT, a Beechcraft, G-18-S, N9312Y, was in position on runway 25 at Fort Smith, Arkansas when the air transport certificated… - [Accident 19941117038359A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941117038359A), Nov 17, 1994: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Dallas, TX, Substantial damage. Aircraft reported unsafe landing gear indication, landing gear collapsed after landing. - [Incident 19941025043869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941025043869I), Oct 25, 1994: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Shreveport, LA. Aircraft swerved off runway on landing as pilot unlocked the tail wheel prematurely. Rolled onto adjacent taxiway. - [Incident 19880811062899I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880811062899I), Aug 11, 1988: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Huntington, WV, Minor damage. Lost directional control on rollout. Veered off runway. Fuselage failure caused tail wheel to tilt. - [Incident 19810325024789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810325024789I), Mar 25, 1981: Beech G18S (N9312Y), Reading, PA, Minor damage. During rollout right main gear collapsed. Right drag brace failure. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.