# Accident 20190208009989A: Convair C-131B, Miami, FL, February 8, 2019 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 8, 2019, 12:16 local time - Place: Miami, FL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: Q9UA - Location: 25.0000° N, 79.0000° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.0000&lon=-79.0000&mi=10 - Aircraft: N145GT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N145GT-2019-08-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Convair C-131B (registry code 2422903, https://openairdocs.org/model/convair-c-131b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-2800 series (registry code 52026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-2800-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CONVAIR C-131B - Reported engine: P & W R-2800 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 23,000 total, 725 in this make and model, 226 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA19LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA096) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190208009989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 02-11-2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND INTERVIEWED FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE STATED THAT HE ARRIVED AT THE OPALOCKA MIAMI EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (OPF) THE MORNING OF 2-8-2019 FOR THE FLIGHT TO LYNDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MYNN). HE STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND THERE WAS 450 GALS OF FUEL IN EACH WING FOR A TOTAL OF 900 GALS. THE TAKE OFF AND CLIMB WAS NORMAL BUT WHEN THEY WERE IN CRUISE THE LEFT ENGINE PROP GOVERNOR STUCK AT 2400 RPM WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE THE RPM?S VIA THE PROP SPEED CONTROL. CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REDUCED THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE ON THE LEFT ENGINE TO MATCH THE RIGHT ENGINE IN CRUISE AND THEY CONTINUED THE FLIGHT AND LANDED IN NAS. WHILE THEY WERE IN NAS, CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASKED HIM TO CONTACT MAINTENANCE AT WHICH POINT HE TRIED TO TEXT BUT COULD NOT GET THROUGH. FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ELECTED TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND PERFORM A ?RUN UP? BEFORE TAKEOFF TO CHECK THE OPERATION OF THE PROPELLER SPEED CONTROL. IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY DURING THE RUN UP AND THEY TOOK OFF. THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL, AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB TO A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 8000? MSL. AS THEY APPROACHED 4000? MSL THE LEFT PROPELLER GOVERNOR STUCK AGAIN WHEN CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRIED TO REDUCE FROM 2700 TO 2400 RPM. THE GOVERNOR STUCK AT 2700 RPM AND CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRIED MOVING THE CONTROL TO SEE IF THE ENGINE WOULD RESPOND TO INPUTS AND THE RPM COULD NOT BE CHANGED. CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO LEVEL AT 4500? MSL, CANCELED THE IFR CLEARANCE, PICK UP VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS. FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SITUATION AND TOLD CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO MYNN, BUT CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASSURED HIM THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE AND THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY. FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE DID NOT QUESTION HIM. THEY DECIDED TO STAY LEVEL AND FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED THE CRUISE CHECK WHICH WAS NORMAL. THEY SET THE RIGHT ENGINE TO 30 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2000 RPM (CRUISE POWER) AND RETARDED THE THROTTLE OF THE LEFT ENGINE BECAUSE THE RPM WAS TOO HIGH. FIRST OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT CAPTAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONCERN WITH FUEL INBALANCE AND ASK HE TO CHECK THE QRH FOR CROSSFEED PROCEDURES. FIRST OFFICER SILVA RECALLS THE CAPTAIN ENGAGING THE CROSSFEED SWITCH. DURING THE DESCENT TO 1500? MSL FOR THE APPROACH INTO OFP, THE RIGHT ENGINE STARTED SURGING WITH FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT AND OTHER FAULTS ILLUMINATING. FIRSTOFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT HE LOOKED OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW AND SAW THE RIGHT ENGINE SHAKING. CAPTAIN HOPKINS TOLD HIM TO PULL OUT THE CHECKLIST AND THE QRH AND VERIFY THE EMERGENCY. CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MADE THE DECISION TO FEATHER THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE MIXTURE WAS CHECKED AND THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^INSTRUCTED FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^TO NOT COMPLETELY SECURE THE ENGINE JUST IN CASE THEY NEEDED IT AGAIN. CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ADDED ADDITIONAL POWER TO THE LEFT ENGINE AND ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE LATER, THE LEFT ENGINE STARTED TO SURGE ALSO. FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT THEY WENT THROUGH MANY CHECKS TO INCLUDE BOOST PUMPS TO TRY AND GET THE ENGINE TO STOP SURGING. CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^DECIDED TO RESTART THE RIGHT ENGINE, BUT IT WAS STILL SURGING AND LOSING POWER. FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT THE FUEL PANEL GUARDS WERE SHUT AND FUEL SWITCHES WERE SELECTED TO THE CORRECT TANK. AT APPROXIMATELY 800? MSL, FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS ABLE TO MAKE A MAYDAY CALL, AT THAT POINT THEY DECIDED TO COMMIT TO A WATER LANDING. FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT HE SECURED HIS SHOULDER HARNESS AND SLID HIS SEAT BACK. FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT BEFORE IMPACT HE LOOKED OVER AT CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AND NOTICED HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS. AFTER IMPACT FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ATTEMPED TO FREE CAPTAIN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^BUT COULD NOT. FIRST OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^SWAM OUT THE TAIL AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH HAD BROKEN OFF DURING THE IMPACT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA19LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA096), Feb 8, 2019: Convair C131 (N145GT), Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The captain's decision to continue with the flight with a malfunctioning left engine propeller control and the subsequent loss of engine power on both engines for undetermined reasons, which resulted… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.