What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
03/24/2015 Received e-mail from sarah bartush, channel islands aviation (cia) flight school manager, dated 03/23/2015 @5:01PM. The e-mail message is initial notification of a damaged aircraft / accident:
?N2104H came in for a 200 hour inspection today and our team discovered firewall damage. I would like to discuss the situation tomorrow morning if possible please. I?ve done some research and I?m almost positive as to who did it and when it occurred. I should be in the office by 8:45AM tomorrow and may be reached at my direct line below, thank you.?
Contacted cia in order to get further information and to schedule an inspection of the aircraft, aircraft records and pilot information. Coordinated activity with inspector ross gregory, vny faast team program manager.
Inspector gregory and I arrived at the cia hangar at 13:00 and met with sarah bartush (flight school) and anthony ast (maintenance). The aircraft had the engine cowling and various panels removed to perform the scheduled 200 hour inspection. Evidence of damage is as follows:
-The firewall sustained buckling damage at the upper nose gear attachment.
-The lower edge of the nose gear / firewall reinforcement has several sheared rivets and distortion. The sheared rivets appear to be from a substantial vertical overload.
-Both left hand and right hand cabin floorboards at junction with center console support, sustained buckling damage. The center console support appears to have been displaced aft approximately 1/8 inch at floor level.
There were no other obvious signs of damage.
Maintenance records review - the last time the cowling had been removed was for the scheduled servicing on 01/29/2015. This was the last time there was access to the engine compartment / firewall. The aircraft had operated 49.2 hours since then.
Flight records review - the flight logs indicated that the aircraft had flown 59 flights in those 49.2 hours. Of the 59 flights, 45 were dual instructional flights (19 primary instruction and 26 advanced instructions). There were 14 solo flights (10 with rated pilots and 4 with student pilots).
As the FAA filed it
03/24/2015 RECEIVED E-MAIL FROM SARAH BARTUSH, CHANNEL ISLANDS AVIATION (CIA) FLIGHT SCHOOL MANAGER, DATED 03/23/2015 @5:01PM. THE E-MAIL MESSAGE IS INITIAL NOTIFICATION OF A DAMAGED AIRCRAFT / ACCIDENT:
?N2104H CAME IN FOR A 200 HOUR INSPECTION TODAY AND OUR TEAM DISCOVERED FIREWALL DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION TOMORROW MORNING IF POSSIBLE PLEASE. I?VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I?M ALMOST POSITIVE AS TO WHO DID IT AND WHEN IT OCCURRED. I SHOULD BE IN THE OFFICE BY 8:45AM TOMORROW AND MAY BE REACHED AT MY DIRECT LINE BELOW, THANK YOU.?
CONTACTED CIA IN ORDER TO GET FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO SCHEDULE AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, AIRCRAFT RECORDS AND PILOT INFORMATION. COORDINATED ACTIVITY WITH INSPECTOR ROSS GREGORY, VNY FAAST TEAM PROGRAM MANAGER.
INSPECTOR GREGORY AND I ARRIVED AT THE CIA HANGAR AT 13:00 AND MET WITH SARAH BARTUSH (FLIGHT SCHOOL) AND ANTHONY AST (MAINTENANCE). THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE ENGINE COWLING AND VARIOUS PANELS REMOVED TO PERFORM THE SCHEDULED 200 HOUR INSPECTION. EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE IS AS FOLLOWS:
-THE FIREWALL SUSTAINED BUCKLING DAMAGE AT THE UPPER NOSE GEAR ATTACHMENT.
-THE LOWER EDGE OF THE NOSE GEAR / FIREWALL REINFORCEMENT HAS SEVERAL SHEARED RIVETS AND DISTORTION. THE SHEARED RIVETS APPEAR TO BE FROM A SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL OVERLOAD.
-BOTH LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND CABIN FLOORBOARDS AT JUNCTION WITH CENTER CONSOLE SUPPORT, SUSTAINED BUCKLING DAMAGE. THE CENTER CONSOLE SUPPORT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AFT APPROXIMATELY 1/8 INCH AT FLOOR LEVEL.
THERE WERE NO OTHER OBVIOUS SIGNS OF DAMAGE.
MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVIEW - THE LAST TIME THE COWLING HAD BEEN REMOVED WAS FOR THE SCHEDULED SERVICING ON 01/29/2015. THIS WAS THE LAST TIME THERE WAS ACCESS TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT / FIREWALL. THE AIRCRAFT HAD OPERATED 49.2 HOURS SINCE THEN.
FLIGHT RECORDS REVIEW - THE FLIGHT LOGS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN 59 FLIGHTS IN THOSE 49.2 HOURS. OF THE 59 FLIGHTS, 45 WERE DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHTS (19 PRIMARY INSTRUCTION AND 26 ADVANCED INSTRUCTIONS). THERE WERE 14 SOLO FLIGHTS (10 WITH RATED PILOTS AND 4 WITH STUDENT PILOTS).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.