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19990421003829A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Courtland, AL · April 21, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 21, 1999 · 16:43 local
Place
Courtland, AL
Airport
Industrial Airpark Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N769LW
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA137
Reported as
Beech A36
Reported engine
Continental IO520BA
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,597 total15 in the last 90 days
N769LWRegistration cancelled Mar 5, 2001 · Beech A36S/N E1028Airframe modelBeech A36

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.

Acft lost power and attempted to land at Courtland arpt but crashed 2 miles se of the arpt, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)during cruise flight, throttle response was not possible and the engine RPM decreased to near idle. While descending for a forced landing with the landing gear extended, the pilot later stated that he could not recall the last several thousand feet of the descent. The airplane collided with trees then the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a castellated nut which secures a lever onto the throttle plate shaft was loose by 10.5 turns of the 6 sided nut; no cotter pin was found. This condition would not allow movement of the throttle plate shaft with movement of the throttle control. Postaccident, the engine was removed from the airplane, placed in a test cell, and found to operate normally. Following collapse of the nose landing gear August 1998, the engine and fuel control valve were overhauled. Following the engine overhaul, the engine was test run. The air throttle assembly was then removed for shipping, the lever was loosene d, and the engine and boxedair throttle assembly were shipped to where the iarplane was being repaired. The air throttle assembly was installed on the engine which was installed into the airplane. The engine was then run and no engine related discrepancies were noted.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT LOST POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT COURTLAND ARPT BUT CRASHED 2 MILES SE OF THE ARPT, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THROTTLE RESPONSE WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND THE ENGINE RPM DECREASED TO NEAR IDLE. WHILE DESCENDING FOR A FORCED LANDING WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED, THE PILOT LATER STATED THAT HE COULD NOT RECALL THE LAST SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET OF THE DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED A CASTELLATED NUT WHICH SECURES A LEVER ONTO THE THROTTLE PLATE SHAFT WAS LOOSE BY 10.5 TURNS OF THE 6 SIDED NUT; NO COTTER PIN WAS FOUND. THIS CONDITION WOULD NOT ALLOW MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE PLATE SHAFT WITH MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL. POSTACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE, PLACED IN A TEST CELL, AND FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. FOLLOWING COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AUGUST 1998, THE ENGINE AND FUEL CONTROL VALVE WERE OVERHAULED. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE OVERHAUL, THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN. THE AIR THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WAS THEN REMOVED FOR SHIPPING, THE LEVER WAS LOOSENE D, AND THE ENGINE AND BOXEDAIR THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WERE SHIPPED TO WHERE THE IARPLANE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE AIR THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE WHICH WAS INSTALLED INTO THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE WAS THEN RUN AND NO ENGINE RELATED DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.

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 MIA99LA137Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCourtland, ALThe failure of maintenance personnel from Signature Flight Support to assure that a cotter pin was installed at the air throttle assembly lever following installation of the overhauled fuel control valve onto the overhauled engine. This resulted in the…Apr 21, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N769LW · 1

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

Incident 19980820035689IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Scottsboro, AL(-5) Pilot had an alternator failure, loss of electrical capability the pilot stated he manually extended the landing gear. Upon landing nose gear collapsed, with minor damage and no injuries.Aug 20, 1998 · Minor damage