19980110000179A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Gulstm 500-B · Ennis, TX · January 10, 1998

Date
January 10, 1998 · 14:27 local
Place
Ennis, TX
Airport
Ennis Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N556BW
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98FA092
Reported as
Gulstm 500B
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540E1B5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
1,550 total

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.

Pilot advised the acft had a fuel transfer prob and attempt to return to a nearby arpt. Ennis, TX. (-23) safety recommendation: AD on fuel pump of mg should be powder coated. Mg oh found by lab analysis due to H2O in pump. (.4)after departing on an IFR flight in VFR conditions, the flight had been cleared to climb from 3,000 to 4,000 ft, when the right engine lost power. The pilots diverted toward an uncontrolled airport, secured the right engine, & cancelled their IFR clearance. They made an approach to land on runway 15, then attempted a single engine go-around. During the go-around, the airplane yawed/rolled to the right in what the passenger believed was a VMC roll. It then struck power lines & crashed in a right wing low attitude. Investigation revealed that both pilots held multi-engine ratings. The owner said the pilot (PIC) had flown the airplane for a short time on 12/21/98; however, no other record was found to verify that either the pilot or copilot had flight experience in this make/model of airplane. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence that the flaps were retracted, the landing gear was in transit, the left propeller was operating with power, & the right propeller was feathered. The airplane had a history of fuel flow fluctuations in the right engine. The diaphragm (p/n 364446) in the right engine distributor valve assembly was found ruptured. It was an old style diaphragm, whiich was colored black. Bendix service bulletin RS-76, issued 11/15/80, aclled for replacement of the black diagrapm with a red fluorosilicone diaphragm (p/n 245088) at overhaul. The engine was overhauled in June 1992. During maintenance in December 1997, both fuel systems injuectors & nozzles were tested;however, the distributor valve assemblies were not tested. Calculations showed the airplane was loaded 116.3 lbs over the maximum allowable gross weight & 1.3 inches forward of the allowable CG range.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ADVISED THE ACFT HAD A FUEL TRANSFER PROB AND ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO A NEARBY ARPT. ENNIS, TX. (-23) SAFETY RECOMMENDATION: AD ON FUEL PUMP OF MG SHOULD BE POWDER COATED. MG OH FOUND BY LAB ANALYSIS DUE TO H2O IN PUMP. (.4)AFTER DEPARTING ON AN IFR FLIGHT IN VFR CONDITIONS, THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CLIMB FROM 3,000 TO 4,000 FT, WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOTS DIVERTED TOWARD AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, SECURED THE RIGHT ENGINE, & CANCELLED THEIR IFR CLEARANCE. THEY MADE AN APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 15, THEN ATTEMPTED A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND, THE AIRPLANE YAWED/ROLLED TO THE RIGHT IN WHAT THE PASSENGER BELIEVED WAS A VMC ROLL. IT THEN STRUCK POWER LINES & CRASHED IN A RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT BOTH PILOTS HELD MULTI-ENGINE RATINGS. THE OWNER SAID THE PILOT (PIC) HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE FOR A SHORT TIME ON 12/21/98; HOWEVER, NO OTHER RECORD WAS FOUND TO VERIFY THAT EITHER THE PILOT OR COPILOT HAD FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL OF AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED, THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT, THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS OPERATING WITH POWER, & THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED. THE AIRPLANE HAD A HISTORY OF FUEL FLOW FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE DIAPHRAGM (P/N 364446) IN THE RIGHT ENGINE DISTRIBUTOR VALVE ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND RUPTURED. IT WAS AN OLD STYLE DIAPHRAGM, WHIICH WAS COLORED BLACK. BENDIX SERVICE BULLETIN RS-76, ISSUED 11/15/80, ACLLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE BLACK DIAGRAPM WITH A RED FLUOROSILICONE DIAPHRAGM (P/N 245088) AT OVERHAUL. THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED IN JUNE 1992. DURING MAINTENANCE IN DECEMBER 1997, BOTH FUEL SYSTEMS INJUECTORS & NOZZLES WERE TESTED;HOWEVER, THE DISTRIBUTOR VALVE ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT TESTED. CALCULATIONS SHOWED THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED 116.3 LBS OVER THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT & 1.3 INCHES FORWARD OF THE ALLOWABLE CG RANGE.

NTSB investigation

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