What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 26 2016 at approximately 1830 EST, a DHC-8-200, N362PH, united express flight 4979 operated by champlain enterprises LLC, d.b.a. commutair departed the Washington Dulles airport (kiad) enroute to the norfolk, VA (korf). Shortly after takeoff the aircraft experienced malfunction of the no. 2 engine similar to what would be expected of an unscheduled feather condition at approximately 300 feet AGL. The
Aircraft returned to iad and landed safely on runway 1L after a second approach without incident.
The PIC was an experienced DHC-8 line captain. The first officer was new to commutair having recently completed initial operating experience.
Propeller ground range advisory light electrical connector 9811-P29 was found defective and replaced iaw amm task 20-45-07.
The flight was operating in visual conditions. Weather was not a factor.
ATC & aircraft to company communications appear to have been adequate.
Jjba performed a FDR download which appeared to indicate the no. 2 propeller ground range advisory light was illuminated during the takeoff roll.
It appears a mechanical fault of the beta back up system occurred prior to departure. Evidence of the mechanical fault was the continuous illumination of the no. 2 propeller
Ground range advisory light with power levers advance beyond the flight idle position for takeoff.
Although the aircraft's mechanical condition was compromised it appears the flight crew should have aborted the takeoff per commutair standard operating procedure aircraft operations manual (aom) revision 17, effective 10/14/15, paragraph 03.40 takeoff standard operating procedure: caution: if the #1 or #2 propeller ground range advisory lights illuminate the takeoff must be aborted.
Aom paragraph 03.40 caution originated from an April 1, 2014 Bombardier revision due to a potential concern with propeller control units repaired/overhauled by pacific
Propeller international, LLC.
The certificate management team (cmt) obtained ATC audio for the event. Investigation revealed the first approach attempt to kiad runway 1L was discontinued due to the landing gear failing to extend. After delay vectors the flight crew was able to
Extend the landing gear and commence approach terminating in a safe landing. Flight crew inability to extend the landing gear appears to be the result of failing to perform a required emergency checklist item in the proper sequence.
The flight crew stated they did not see the advisory light - blue & white in color illuminated. A contributing factor may have been the setting sun directly in front of the runway 30 departure.
Both flight crewmember reports were accepted into the flight crewmember asap program. Flight crewmember remedial training has occurred. Additionally, jjba has committed to implementing a new SOP to ensure advisory lights are extinguished prior to departure. Additional safety enhancements have been recommend by the cmu which will be tracked to completion.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 26 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 EST, A DHC-8-200, N362PH, UNITED EXPRESS FLIGHT 4979 OPERATED BY CHAMPLAIN ENTERPRISES LLC, D.B.A. COMMUTAIR DEPARTED THE WASHINGTON DULLES AIRPORT (KIAD) ENROUTE TO THE NORFOLK, VA (KORF). SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTION OF THE NO. 2 ENGINE SIMILAR TO WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED OF AN UNSCHEDULED FEATHER CONDITION AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. THE
AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO IAD AND LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 1L AFTER A SECOND APPROACH WITHOUT INCIDENT.
THE PIC WAS AN EXPERIENCED DHC-8 LINE CAPTAIN. THE FIRST OFFICER WAS NEW TO COMMUTAIR HAVING RECENTLY COMPLETED INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE.
PROPELLER GROUND RANGE ADVISORY LIGHT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 9811-P29 WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IAW AMM TASK 20-45-07.
THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR.
ATC & AIRCRAFT TO COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE.
JJBA PERFORMED A FDR DOWNLOAD WHICH APPEARED TO INDICATE THE NO. 2 PROPELLER GROUND RANGE ADVISORY LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL.
IT APPEARS A MECHANICAL FAULT OF THE BETA BACK UP SYSTEM OCCURRED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. EVIDENCE OF THE MECHANICAL FAULT WAS THE CONTINUOUS ILLUMINATION OF THE NO. 2 PROPELLER
GROUND RANGE ADVISORY LIGHT WITH POWER LEVERS ADVANCE BEYOND THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION FOR TAKEOFF.
ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT'S MECHANICAL CONDITION WAS COMPROMISED IT APPEARS THE FLIGHT CREW SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF PER COMMUTAIR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS MANUAL (AOM) REVISION 17, EFFECTIVE 10/14/15, PARAGRAPH 03.40 TAKEOFF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE: CAUTION: IF THE #1 OR #2 PROPELLER GROUND RANGE ADVISORY LIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE TAKEOFF MUST BE ABORTED.
AOM PARAGRAPH 03.40 CAUTION ORIGINATED FROM AN APRIL 1, 2014 BOMBARDIER REVISION DUE TO A POTENTIAL CONCERN WITH PROPELLER CONTROL UNITS REPAIRED/OVERHAULED BY PACIFIC
PROPELLER INTERNATIONAL, LLC.
THE CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT TEAM (CMT) OBTAINED ATC AUDIO FOR THE EVENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FIRST APPROACH ATTEMPT TO KIAD RUNWAY 1L WAS DISCONTINUED DUE TO THE LANDING GEAR FAILING TO EXTEND. AFTER DELAY VECTORS THE FLIGHT CREW WAS ABLE TO
EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR AND COMMENCE APPROACH TERMINATING IN A SAFE LANDING. FLIGHT CREW INABILITY TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF FAILING TO PERFORM A REQUIRED EMERGENCY CHECKLIST ITEM IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE.
THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THEY DID NOT SEE THE ADVISORY LIGHT - BLUE & WHITE IN COLOR ILLUMINATED. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE SETTING SUN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE RUNWAY 30 DEPARTURE.
BOTH FLIGHT CREWMEMBER REPORTS WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE FLIGHT CREWMEMBER ASAP PROGRAM. FLIGHT CREWMEMBER REMEDIAL TRAINING HAS OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY, JJBA HAS COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING A NEW SOP TO ENSURE ADVISORY LIGHTS ARE EXTINGUISHED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. ADDITIONAL SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS HAVE BEEN RECOMMEND BY THE CMU WHICH WILL BE TRACKED TO COMPLETION.
Other reports on N362PH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.