- Date
- November 30, 1990, 19:25 local (Dec 1, 1990, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, GA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N185SFCessna S550
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19901130056909I
- Case key
- 8342
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
A fatigue failure of a spot weld on the gas generator case, which resulted in an engine explosion.
Analysis
The pilot aborted a night take off roll after the right engine exploded. Examination of the right engine disclosed that the engine cowling was displaced about 12 inches from its normally installed position. Further examination indicated that the outer bypass duct and gas generator case were burst open from the 12:00 to 5:00 o'clock position. The rupture occurred as the airplane accelerated through 84 knots on the takeoff roll. The investigation disclosed that the gas generator failed due to spot weld fatigue failure, and the exiting gases under high pressure burst the outer bypass duct, causing explosion damage.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185SF
- Reported as
- Cessna S550
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 550-0029
- Engine
- P&W, 2,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Sovran Bank Na
- Destination
- PDK · Chamblee, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CSG · Columbus Metro, runway 5, 6,998 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 6,500 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 5,200 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- CSG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.