# Accident 20211210019229A: Swearingen SA-226AT, Bedford, NH, December 10, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 10, 2021, 23:33 local time - Place: Bedford, NH - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: CSJA - Location: 42.9267° N, 71.4518° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.9267&lon=-71.4518&mi=10 - Aircraft: N54GP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N54GP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Swearingen SA-226AT (registry code 8780405, https://openairdocs.org/model/swearingen-sa-226at) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: AiResearch 331 SER 605HP (registry code 01502, https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-331-ser-605hp) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SWEARINGEN SA-226AT - Reported engine: AIRESEARCH 331 SER 605HP - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,059 total, 102 in this make and model, 338 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22FA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22FA086) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211210019229A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. N54GP, A SWEARINGEN SA-226-TA, TOOK OFF FROM KCDW AT 03:51Z ON 12/11/21, A 14 CFR 135 FLIGHT CARRYING CARGO TO KMHT. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, UNDER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, BY COMMERCIAL PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT 04:30Z, ON 12/11/21, THE AIRMAN DECLARED A LOST ENGINE TO MANCHESTER TOWER WHILE ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 06 LANDING KMHT. BASED ON ADS-B DATA, AT 04:30:39Z THE AIRCRAFT?S GROUND SPEED AT 0.50 NM (1200M) FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 06 WAS 100 KNOTS. THE AIRMAN ANNOUNCED HIS ENGINE FAILURE AT 900M (04:30:41Z) FROM THE THRESHOLD WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 98 KNOTS AND A BAROMETRIC ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET. THE LAST ADS-B DATA RECORDED (04:30:51Z) THE AIRCRAFT AT 88 KNOTS, A BAROMETRIC ALTITUDE OF 0 FEET, AND A DISTANCE OF 600M FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. AT 900M AFTER THE AIRMAN MADE THE ENGINE FAILURE COMMUNICATION, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT (NORTH) OF RUNWAY 06 CENTERLINE IN ADDITION TO THE LOSS OF 12 KNOTS. MANCHESTER TOWER OBSERVED A FIREBALL SHORT OF THE RUNWAY BRIEFLY AFTER THE LOST ENGINE COMMUNICATION. THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NOTED AT 0444Z BY MANCHESTER TOWER, WHO CALLED THE FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC). THE ROC CONTACTED THE NH DOT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE NTSB, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM PWM FSDO. INSPECTOR^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOTIFIED AT 1245Z, 12/11/21 OF THE ACCIDENT WHO IMMEDIATELY LEFT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. HIS ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 1345Z. HE BEGAN HIS INVESTIGATION WITH ASSISTANCE FROM AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE SEA AEG. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED AT 42?55.38?N AND 071?27.15?W ON A SAND BAR ADJACENT TO THE MERRIMACK RIVER APPROXIMATELY 460 METERS WEST FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 06. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT FIRE AND LAID PARTIAL SUBMERGED IN 6 INCHES OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT FACED A HEADING OF 360 DEGREES POINTING UPSTREAM. SMALL PIECES OF SHRAPNEL FROM THE LEFT WING WERE SCATTERED 10 METERS OVER THE KNOLL TO THE WEST OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE LEFT FLAP WAS SUBMERGED AT THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SAND BAR; OTHERWISE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN A 20 METER FOOTPRINT. THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT AND SHOWED MINOR DAMAGE. THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS MANGLED AND LAID BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND THE KNOLL WITH THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PROPELLER AND HUB OF THE LEFT ENGINE HAD DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE AND WAS PARTIALLY IMPACTED WITH THE KNOLL. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE PERPENDICULAR TO THE RELATIVE WIND. THE LEFT PROPELLER APPEARED UNSCATHED FROM THE ACCIDENT WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER BLADES. NO SIGNS OF STRIATION OR PROPELLER MARKS WERE VISIBLE IN THE DIRT OR SURROUNDING BRUSH. THE RIGHT WING SPAR LAID CLOSE TO THE WRECKAGE OF THE FUSELAGE WITH THE RIGHT WING TIP SURVIVING THE FIRE. THE RIGHT ENGINE, HOWEVER, WAS ON TOP OF THE KNOLL, LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE RIGHT PROPELLER SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE FROM IMPACT, CAUSING ALL BLADES TO BEND OR BREAK OFF. VISIBLE STRIATION MARKS ARE SCENE IN BRUSH FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE AS WELL AS DEBRIS FROM THE PROPELLER IMBEDDED IN THE SAND BAR. THE RIGHT PROPELLER BLADES ARE PARALLEL TO THE RELATIVE WIND, IMPLYING THAT THE PROPELLER WAS POSSIBLY FEATHERED. THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE WING SPARS TO THE NOSE CONE ARE UNRECOGNIZABLE DUE TO THE SEVERE IMPACT FIRE. ## 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 ERA22FA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22FA086), Dec 11, 2021: Swearingen SA226 (N54GP), Bedford, NH, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to secure and feather the left engine and increase power on the right engine after a perceived loss of engine power in the left engine, which resulted in a loss of control and… 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.