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19990222015629I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Lewisville, TX · February 22, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 22, 1999 · 15:00 local
Place
Lewisville, TX
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N500LC
Reported as
Piper PA23250
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,600 total7 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N500LCRegistered now · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7954060 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250Engine 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.

(-5) On 21 February 1999 a Piper PA23-250, registration #N500LC, experienced a loss of the emergency exit window while in cruise flight over lake Lewisville, TX. The aircraft returned to addison (ADS). The aircraft had 1.8 hours since it's last annual inspection, which was completed on 18 February 1999. The mechanic, Mr. Farrell trask A&P 1422060, was interviewed by this office. He stated that the emergency window was removed for the annual. It was installed by another employee, while he was stationed on the outside of the aircraft to ensure proper alignment. Once installed, the technician pressed against the window frame to ensure that it was properly secured. The door lock was safetied with copper safety wire, and the plastic cover was installed. Mr. Trask stated that without recovery of the window, it would be only a guess as to why it departed the aircraft. It may have been a mechanical failure, or a bent rod that locked the window in place until aircraft vibration rolled the cam locking mechanism over, disengaging the locking mechanism. This window installation does not have a visual reference to ensure that the locks are properly engaged once installed. In the future, Mr. Trask will use a dye on the locking mechanism, remove the window after installation to check penetration, and reinstall the emergency window. This way he can ensure that the lock is fully engaging.

As the FAA filed it

(-5) ON 21 FEBRUARY 1999 A PIPER PA23-250, REGISTRATION #N500LC, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF THE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT OVER LAKE LEWISVILLE, TX. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO ADDISON (ADS). THE AIRCRAFT HAD 1.8 HOURS SINCE IT'S LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH WAS COMPLETED ON 18 FEBRUARY 1999. THE MECHANIC, MR. FARRELL TRASK A&P 1422060, WAS INTERVIEWED BY THIS OFFICE. HE STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY WINDOW WAS REMOVED FOR THE ANNUAL. IT WAS INSTALLED BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, WHILE HE WAS STATIONED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO ENSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT. ONCE INSTALLED, THE TECHNICIAN PRESSED AGAINST THE WINDOW FRAME TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS PROPERLY SECURED. THE DOOR LOCK WAS SAFETIED WITH COPPER SAFETY WIRE, AND THE PLASTIC COVER WAS INSTALLED. MR. TRASK STATED THAT WITHOUT RECOVERY OF THE WINDOW, IT WOULD BE ONLY A GUESS AS TO WHY IT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A MECHANICAL FAILURE, OR A BENT ROD THAT LOCKED THE WINDOW IN PLACE UNTIL AIRCRAFT VIBRATION ROLLED THE CAM LOCKING MECHANISM OVER, DISENGAGING THE LOCKING MECHANISM. THIS WINDOW INSTALLATION DOES NOT HAVE A VISUAL REFERENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE LOCKS ARE PROPERLY ENGAGED ONCE INSTALLED. IN THE FUTURE, MR. TRASK WILL USE A DYE ON THE LOCKING MECHANISM, REMOVE THE WINDOW AFTER INSTALLATION TO CHECK PENETRATION, AND REINSTALL THE EMERGENCY WINDOW. THIS WAY HE CAN ENSURE THAT THE LOCK IS FULLY ENGAGING.