- Date
- May 8, 1990, 21:37 local (May 9, 1990, 01:37 UTC)
- Place
- Liberty, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N220PCessna P206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900508014739A
- Case key
- 8129
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to improper repairs to, and inadequate inspection of, the induction air box. The night light condition was a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot radioed he was losing power and attempting a landing on a highway. According to a witness who observed the airplane as it approached an overpass, the pilot appeared to have pulled up to avoid power lines, and then collided with a telephone line. The airplane impacted onto a median strip. The induction air box door spring was found to have worn completely through the attach hole of the air box door arm. The total spring length was 2.50 inches; engineering drawing specifies a spring length of 3.66 inches. Also, the thickness of the arm itself was less than 50% of that specified by the drawing. The bracket that the other end of the spring attaches to was mislocated about 0.50 inch from the drawing dimension. In addition, the air box was fastened together mostly by blind fastener rivets which are not called for on the drawing. It was also caulked with a soft sealant also not called for.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N220P
- Reported as
- Cessna P206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P2060409
- Airframe hours
- 2,588
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John C. Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 28, 1989 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- Asheboro, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 272 total · 83 in this make and model · 241 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GSO, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.