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20190204009409I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech 1900C · Utqiagvik, AK · February 4, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 4, 2019 · 15:37 local
Place
Utqiagvik, AK
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N974EA
Reported as
Beech 1900C
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B
People aboard
14
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
13,500 total

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.

N974EA departed pabr for papo at 0800L. During cruise, just before ppiz at FL190, crew noticed master warning for left oil pressure. Oil pressure gauge was fluctuating 55-65PSI. Crew performed checklist procedure and shut down engine as called for in checklist. Crew then returned to pabr for uneventful landing. The crew said they checked the dipstick after landing and found it in place.

A passenger took several photos and a video from inside the aircraft and supplied an external video of the aircraft landing at pabr. The passenger claimed the engine was not feathered and there was oil pouring out of the engine. The photos and video do not show oil coming out of the engine and the engine is feathered in the photos and video.

A check of the engine's records showed that service bulletin 13340 had been performed. This sb involves an oil filler ball-valve to prevent oil from being blown out the oil filler tube due to missing or mis-installed oil filler cap. This indicated that the engine did not lose oil due to crew error.

The certificate holder (ch) sent the engine to standard aero for an engineering investigation and teardown. The report from the service center revealed the oil loss was due to a possible lightning strike that caused the reduction gearbox scavenge pump housing to warp, which caused a gap between the two housings. Ch filed mis report.

There was no convective activity on the day of the event. The crew was counseled on not declaring an emergency and company briefed lead pilots at all bases and send out pilot-wide information advising on declaring an emergency when appropriate.

As the FAA filed it

N974EA DEPARTED PABR FOR PAPO AT 0800L. DURING CRUISE, JUST BEFORE PPIZ AT FL190, CREW NOTICED MASTER WARNING FOR LEFT OIL PRESSURE. OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS FLUCTUATING 55-65PSI. CREW PERFORMED CHECKLIST PROCEDURE AND SHUT DOWN ENGINE AS CALLED FOR IN CHECKLIST. CREW THEN RETURNED TO PABR FOR UNEVENTFUL LANDING. THE CREW SAID THEY CHECKED THE DIPSTICK AFTER LANDING AND FOUND IT IN PLACE.

A PASSENGER TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOS AND A VIDEO FROM INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT AND SUPPLIED AN EXTERNAL VIDEO OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDING AT PABR. THE PASSENGER CLAIMED THE ENGINE WAS NOT FEATHERED AND THERE WAS OIL POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO DO NOT SHOW OIL COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE IS FEATHERED IN THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO.

A CHECK OF THE ENGINE'S RECORDS SHOWED THAT SERVICE BULLETIN 13340 HAD BEEN PERFORMED. THIS SB INVOLVES AN OIL FILLER BALL-VALVE TO PREVENT OIL FROM BEING BLOWN OUT THE OIL FILLER TUBE DUE TO MISSING OR MIS-INSTALLED OIL FILLER CAP. THIS INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT LOSE OIL DUE TO CREW ERROR.

THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER (CH) SENT THE ENGINE TO STANDARD AERO FOR AN ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION AND TEARDOWN. THE REPORT FROM THE SERVICE CENTER REVEALED THE OIL LOSS WAS DUE TO A POSSIBLE LIGHTNING STRIKE THAT CAUSED THE REDUCTION GEARBOX SCAVENGE PUMP HOUSING TO WARP, WHICH CAUSED A GAP BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSINGS. CH FILED MIS REPORT.

THERE WAS NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT. THE CREW WAS COUNSELED ON NOT DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND COMPANY BRIEFED LEAD PILOTS AT ALL BASES AND SEND OUT PILOT-WIDE INFORMATION ADVISING ON DECLARING AN EMERGENCY WHEN APPROPRIATE.