20120117000609I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Aero Commander 500-B · Eden Prairie, MN · January 17, 2012

Date: January 17, 2012 · 23:08 local
Place: Eden Prairie, MN
Airport: Flying Cloud
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ZJWA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N444CA
Reported as: Aero Commander 500-B
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,100 total697 in this make and model204 in the last 90 days

N444CARegistered now · Aero Commander 500-BS/N 1458-162 · Built 1964 Airframe modelAero Commander 500-B Engine 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.

During climb from fcm the pilot noticed RPM drop for the left engine followed by other guages for the left side also dropping. Minneapolis approach was contacted and power loss was indicated. The left engine was feathered. The left engine was also shut down as a precaution. The aircraft returned to fcm and landed without further event. It was reported that the crank case of the engine had cracked.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CLIMB FROM FCM THE PILOT NOTICED RPM DROP FOR THE LEFT ENGINE FOLLOWED BY OTHER GUAGES FOR THE LEFT SIDE ALSO DROPPING. MINNEAPOLIS APPROACH WAS CONTACTED AND POWER LOSS WAS INDICATED. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS FEATHERED. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS ALSO SHUT DOWN AS A PRECAUTION. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO FCM AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE CRANK CASE OF THE ENGINE HAD CRACKED.

Other reports on N444CA · 1

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

Accident 20260317005219ATakeoff: Rotation · Chesterfield, MOThe airman departed runway 26L at ksus on a part 135 cargo flight. After rotation, the aircraft pitched up abruptly, consistent with an apparent pitch control problem. The pilot attempted to return to runway 26L with a right circle approach. During the…Mar 17, 2026 · Destroyed · 1 fatal