20100420032009I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Fairchild SA227-AC · Somerset, KY · April 20, 2010

Date
April 20, 2010 · 11:00 local
Place
Somerset, KY
Airport
Somerset-Pulaski County-J.T. W
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
YLXA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N227ML
Reported as
Fairchild SA227-AC
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

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.

On January 2, 2010, N227ML had been involved in an accident on landing during which the aircraft landed long, fast and exited the right side of the runway. (Reference NTSB accident number ERA10LA103 that is still open.) After the accident, the company's director of maintenance (dom) expressed concerns that during maintenance ground tests the aircraft veered right when brakes were applied, and the nose wheel steering (NWS) system intermittently failed to engage properly. As a result of the company's concerns, the national transportation safety board (NTSB) requested that federal aviation administration (FAA) airworthiness and operations aviation safety inspectors (ASI) observe taxi tests and NWS operation. The company's dom conducted the ground tests with no intention of flight. Two FAA asi's were onboard at the request of the NTSB to observe. During a series of taxi and brake tests at slower speeds, the aircraft veered slightly to the right when both brakes were applied. The right turn was corrected by engaging NWS. At approximately 50 knots, while testing the system on the runway, the dom applied both brakes, and the aircraft veered sharply and abruptly to the right. The NWS did not engage this time, and the aircraft exited the hard surface, perpendicular to the runway. The right propeller struck a taxi light while exiting the runway. The aircraft went across the level grass next to the runway and then down an embankment. The aircraft came to rest on level ground where the dom shut down the engines. Damage to the right propeller was noted, and was the only damage found on the aircraft as a result of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 2, 2010, N227ML HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON LANDING DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT LANDED LONG, FAST AND EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. (REFERENCE NTSB ACCIDENT NUMBER ERA10LA103 THAT IS STILL OPEN.) AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE COMPANY'S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE (DOM) EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT DURING MAINTENANCE GROUND TESTS THE AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGHT WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING (NWS) SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. AS A RESULT OF THE COMPANY'S CONCERNS, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) REQUESTED THAT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIRWORTHINESS AND OPERATIONS AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS (ASI) OBSERVE TAXI TESTS AND NWS OPERATION. THE COMPANY'S DOM CONDUCTED THE GROUND TESTS WITH NO INTENTION OF FLIGHT. TWO FAA ASI'S WERE ONBOARD AT THE REQUEST OF THE NTSB TO OBSERVE. DURING A SERIES OF TAXI AND BRAKE TESTS AT SLOWER SPEEDS, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT WHEN BOTH BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE RIGHT TURN WAS CORRECTED BY ENGAGING NWS. AT APPROXIMATELY 50 KNOTS, WHILE TESTING THE SYSTEM ON THE RUNWAY, THE DOM APPLIED BOTH BRAKES, AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED SHARPLY AND ABRUPTLY TO THE RIGHT. THE NWS DID NOT ENGAGE THIS TIME, AND THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE HARD SURFACE, PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT PROPELLER STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT WHILE EXITING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WENT ACROSS THE LEVEL GRASS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY AND THEN DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON LEVEL GROUND WHERE THE DOM SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS NOTED, AND WAS THE ONLY DAMAGE FOUND ON THE AIRCRAFT AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.