# NTSB CEN14LA239: Cessna 525C, N718MV, Columbus, OH, May 9, 2014

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: May 9, 2014, 15:37 local (19:37 UTC)
- Place: Columbus, OH
- Coordinates: 39.815834, -82.932502 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8158&lon=-82.9325&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Standing-engine(s) start-up: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 12, 2016
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Cessna - Textron, FAA Columbus FSDO, Williams International
- NTSB case key (mKey): 89207
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA239
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89207/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89207
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA239

## Probable cause

The flight crew’s decision to attempt an engine start in conditions that exceeded the engine's maximum allowable ground start crosswind component limitation.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: powerplant parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062050): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 81 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062050/cases.md)
- [Action: incorrect action selection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 397 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030); cases with it: [All aircraft, 355 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md)
- [Standing-engine(s) start-up: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md)
- [Standing-engine(s) start-up: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md)
- [Standing-engine(s) shutdown: Evacuation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460); cases with it: [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md)
- [Other: Fire/smoke (post-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170); cases with it: [All aircraft, 354 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The multi-engine turbofan airplane was substantially damaged when the left engine experienced an uncontained fire during engine start. After being alerted to the fire by ground crewmembers, the flight crew shut down both engines and egressed the airplane. At the time of engine start, the airplane was subject to gusting crosswinds up to 24 knots. The aircraft flight manual specified a maximum allowable crosswind component of 19 knots during ground starts. The accident is consistent with a disruption of airflow through the engine due to the crosswind, which resulted in an engine fire.

## Factual narrative

On May 9, 2014, about 1537 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 525C multi-engine turbofan airplane, N718MV, was substantially damaged during an engine start at Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), Columbus, Ohio. The two crewmembers and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to Foxy Air 2009 LLC; Columbus, Ohio, and was being operated by Capital City Jet Center, Inc.; Columbus, Ohio. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand passenger flight. At the time of the accident the airplane was preparing to depart LCK for a flight to Bolton Field Airport (TZR), Columbus, Ohio.The airplane was parked on the ramp and oriented on a heading of 325 degrees true with the main cabin door shut and the right engine operating. The flight crew had initiated a start sequence on the left engine when witnesses outside the airplane notified them of a fire in the left engine. The flight crew then shut down both engines, closed the left firewall shutoff, activated the fire bottle, and all four occupants evacuated through the main cabin door. The fire continued to burn and was extinguished by aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) crews who arrived quickly. The fire resulted in substantial damage to empennage, and the left engine pylon. The rear of the left engine cowling was mostly consumed. At 1535, the official surface weather observation site at LCK, reported wind from 210 degrees true at 19 knots, gusting to 27 knots, visibility of 10 miles, temperature 25 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 12 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.87 inches of Mercury. A standard headwind/crosswind component chart for the reported surface wind shown above revealed a tailwind component of 8 to 11 knots (steady wind/gusts respectively), and a crosswind component of 17 to 24 knots (steady wind/gusts respectively). According to the Federal Aviation Administration approved Airplane Flight Manual, page 2-210-7, the airplane had a maximum allowable tailwind component ground start limitation of 19 knots and a maximum allowable crosswind component ground start limitation of 19 knots. The engine was removed from the wreckage and examined. The thermally damaged elastomer stator insert assembly in the engine was repaired and the engine was operated in an engine test cell. The engine was started two times using the FADEC from the accident aircraft. The tests verified that both FADEC channels and igniters operated normally. During the test cell engine run a timed acceleration check from ground idle to takeoff power also verified that the engine operated within the allowable specifications. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operations.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N718MV (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 525C
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 525C0041
- Year built: 2011
- Airframe hours: 740
- Engines: WILLIAMS FJ 44-4A 3600 lbs thrust turbo fan; WILLIAMS FJ 44-4A 3600 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Capital City Jet Center Inc, doing business as Capital City Jet Center Inc
- Registered owner: Foxy Air 2009 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Commuter
- Last inspection: AAIP, March 6, 2014
- Departed: KLCK, Columbus, OH
- Destination: KTZR, Columbus, OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: KLCK, Rickenbacker
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, Data recorder

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 44; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 28, 2014; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 8,125 total, 1,450 in this make and model, 7,776 as pilot in command, 128 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours
- Other flight crew; age 51; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,341 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 210° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observed at: KLCK

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20140509007649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140509007649A), May 9, 2014: Cessna 525C, Columbus, OH, Substantial damage. The PIC reported, they had just cleared customs at lck, the right engine had started. It was observed , by the ground crew, there was a fire at the left…

## Docket (10 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 13, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89207. 7.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445303&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- CVR Specialist's Report (item 2, .PDF, 29 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445304&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=CVR%20Specialist%27s%20Report-Master.PDF
- Powerplants - Group Chairman's Factual Report (item 3, .PDF, 11 photos, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445305&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Powerplants%20-%20Group%20Chairman%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF
- Powerplants - Attachment 1 (item 4, .PDF, 304 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445306&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Powerplants%20-%20Attachment%201-Master.PDF
- Map (item 5, .PDF, 348 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445307&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Map-Master.PDF
- Weather Summary (item 6, .PDF, 234 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445308&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Summary-Master.PDF
- Photos (item 7, .PDF, 5 photos, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445309&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF
- Operator's Cockpit Flight Log (item 8, .PDF, 720 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445310&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Operator%27s%20Cockpit%20Flight%20Log-Master.PDF
- Airplane Flight Manual - page 2-210-7 (item 9, .PDF, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445311&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airplane%20Flight%20Manual%20-%20page%202-210-7-Master.PDF
- Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 10, .PDF, 306 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445312&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Master.PDF

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.

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