20090424053829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Ellumax Lea EPIC LT · Astoria, OR · April 24, 2009

Date: April 24, 2009 · 16:40 local
Place: Astoria, OR
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N653SB
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09LA219
Reported as: Ellumax Lea Epic LT
Reported engine: Pratt And Whitney PT-6A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,550 total70 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days

N653SBRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2010 · Ellumax Leasing EPIC LTS/N 025 Airframe modelEllumax Leasing EPIC LT

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 departed Astoria with approximately 1200 pounds of fuel. He made a maximum performance climb (2500 fpm) to 8,000 feet where he was leveling. He felt a surge in the aircraft, and glanced at his engine instruments, when the engine lost power. The pilot reversed course to return to the Astoria airport. He tried to do an air restart (data shows the engine was still running until impact) but was unable to regain power. The pilot did not think he could make it to the airport so he turned upriver to land close to and in sight of the city of Astoria. The ditching was successful and the pilot and his passenger were soon rescued by a boat, from the briefly floating airplane. The pilot did not attempt to feather the prop.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED ASTORIA WITH APPROXIMATELY 1200 POUNDS OF FUEL. HE MADE A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE CLIMB (2500 FPM) TO 8,000 FEET WHERE HE WAS LEVELING. HE FELT A SURGE IN THE AIRCRAFT, AND GLANCED AT HIS ENGINE INSTRUMENTS, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT REVERSED COURSE TO RETURN TO THE ASTORIA AIRPORT. HE TRIED TO DO AN AIR RESTART (DATA SHOWS THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING UNTIL IMPACT) BUT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN POWER. THE PILOT DID NOT THINK HE COULD MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT SO HE TURNED UPRIVER TO LAND CLOSE TO AND IN SIGHT OF THE CITY OF ASTORIA. THE DITCHING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE SOON RESCUED BY A BOAT, FROM THE BRIEFLY FLOATING AIRPLANE. THE PILOT DID NOT ATTEMPT TO FEATHER THE PROP.

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 WPR09LA219Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAstoria, ORThe partial loss of engine power during climb to cruise due to the failure of the engine's fuel control unit. Contributing to the accident was the incorrect machining of an internal component of the fuel control unit, and the failure of the assembling…Apr 24, 2009 · Substantial damage