19980904022659A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Smith AEROSTAR 600 · Marietta, PA · September 4, 1998

Date: September 4, 1998 · 20:40 local
Place: Marietta, PA
Airport: Donegal Springs Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N600JB
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC98FA179
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540G1B5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,185 total398 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N600JBRegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2003 · Smith AEROSTAR 600S/N 60-0001 · Built 1967 Airframe modelSmith AEROSTAR 600 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

(-23) Aircraft lost an engine on take-off, pilot attempted to return to airport and lost control and crashed. Pilot received fatal injuries. (.4)the airplane departed at night after maintenance on the left engine. The pilot attempted to return to the airport and while on base leg struck the ground inverted and nose down. The left engine propeller was found feathered. On the left engine, the #5 cylinder was off the engine and the #5 piston with the connecting rod still attached were found nearby. Interviews revealed that during maintenance, the #1,3,5,and 6 cylinders had not been tightened. Several people had worked on the airplane at various stages of the work. The maintenance facility did not have a system to pass down what had been accomplished, and the FAA did not require the tracking of work accomplised in other than 14 CFR part 121, or 14 CFR part 145 facilities.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LOST AN ENGINE ON TAKE-OFF, PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT AND LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.4)THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED AT NIGHT AFTER MAINTENANCE ON THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND WHILE ON BASE LEG STRUCK THE GROUND INVERTED AND NOSE DOWN. THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS FOUND FEATHERED. ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THE #5 CYLINDER WAS OFF THE ENGINE AND THE #5 PISTON WITH THE CONNECTING ROD STILL ATTACHED WERE FOUND NEARBY. INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT DURING MAINTENANCE, THE #1,3,5,AND 6 CYLINDERS HAD NOT BEEN TIGHTENED. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE WORK. THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY DID NOT HAVE A SYSTEM TO PASS DOWN WHAT HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, AND THE FAA DID NOT REQUIRE THE TRACKING OF WORK ACCOMPLISED IN OTHER THAN 14 CFR PART 121, OR 14 CFR PART 145 FACILITIES.

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 NYC98FA179Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportMarietta, PAThe failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during a precautionary landing which resulted in a loss of control while operating with one engine shutdown. An additional cause was the improper maintenance procedures that resulted in the #5 cylinder not being…Sep 5, 1998 · Destroyed