20031010029599I

Incident

FAA incident report · Lear 31 · Indianapolis, IN · October 10, 2003

Date: October 10, 2003 · 14:20 local
Place: Indianapolis, IN
Airport: Mount Comfort Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N111VV
Reported as: Lear 31
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

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) On 10/10/03 the crew declared an emergency due to a loss of cabin pressure. The flight had been flawless from wichita, KS to the bible grove VOR. At that time the aircraft began a normal descent for landing at mqj. Air traffic then requested that they descend to a lower altitude quickly. At that time the power was pulled back all the way. Shortly afterward the cabin altitude began to climb an emergency was declared, and an emergency descent was initiated. After leveling off at 10,000 ft. it was noticed that the bleed air switches were in the off position. After they were placed in the on position the pressurization system functioned normally. Maintenance personnel found a broken wire in the cannon plug for the right shut off/regulator valve. The left valve was found not to be fully closing. The operator is to file a malfunction or defect report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 10/10/03 THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO A LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN FLAWLESS FROM WICHITA, KS TO THE BIBLE GROVE VOR. AT THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A NORMAL DESCENT FOR LANDING AT MQJ. AIR TRAFFIC THEN REQUESTED THAT THEY DESCEND TO A LOWER ALTITUDE QUICKLY. AT THAT TIME THE POWER WAS PULLED BACK ALL THE WAY. SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE CABIN ALTITUDE BEGAN TO CLIMB AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, AND AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS INITIATED. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 10,000 FT. IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE BLEED AIR SWITCHES WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. AFTER THEY WERE PLACED IN THE ON POSITION THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FOUND A BROKEN WIRE IN THE CANNON PLUG FOR THE RIGHT SHUT OFF/REGULATOR VALVE. THE LEFT VALVE WAS FOUND NOT TO BE FULLY CLOSING. THE OPERATOR IS TO FILE A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT.