# NTSB DEN07LA036: Fairchild SA227BC, N779BC, Gillette, WY, December 8, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 8, 2006, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Gillette, WY - Coordinates: 44.348888, -105.539443 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.3489&lon=-105.5394&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Denver, Colorado - NTSB case key (mKey): 65040 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN07LA036 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65040/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN07LA036 ## Probable cause wind shear. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - windshear (cause) - aircraft control - not possible, pilot in command ## Analysis The co-pilot was flying the airplane from the right seat and was landing. He reduced power and the airplane lost airspeed and lift. The captain called for more power and the co-pilot complied. The captain called for a go-around, then took control and applied full power but not before the airplane made a hard touch down. The captain brought the airplane around and made a full stop landing. Examination of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear strut assembly had collapsed, and fuel was leaking from the left engine wheel well. At the time of the accident, the wind was 230 degrees at 17 knots. In his written statement, the captain said he believed the hard touch down was due to wind shear. ## Factual narrative On December 8, 2006, approximately 0800 mountain standard time, a Fairchild SA227BC, N779BC, operated by Key Lime Air, Inc., and piloted by a commercial pilot, under the command of an airline transport-certificated pilot, was substantially damaged when it landed hard at Gillette, Wyoming's Campbell County Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The non-scheduled domestic cargo flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, and an IFR (instrument flight rules) flight plan had been filed and activated. The pilot and co-pilot on board the airplane were not injured. The flight originated at Denver, Colorado, approximately 0700mountain standard time. According to the captain, the copilot was flying the airplane from the right seat and was landing. The copilot reduced power to Vref (reference speed) and the airplane lost airspeed and lift. The captain called for more power and the copilot complied. The captain called for a go-around, then took control and applied full power but not before the airplane made a hard touch down. The captain brought the airplane around and made a full stop landing. Examination of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear strut assembly had collapsed, and fuel was leaking from the left engine wheel well. At the time of the accident, the wind was 230 degrees at 17 knots. In his written statement, the captain said he believed the hard touch down was due to wind shear. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N779BC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N779BC), registered now, S/N BC-779B, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Fairchild SA227BC - Registry model: [Fairchild SA227BC](https://openairdocs.org/model/fairchild-sa227bc) (registry code 3377519) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Honeywell TPE331-SER series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/honeywell-tpe331-ser-series) (registry code 33909, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 779BC - Airframe hours: 31142 - Engines: Fairchild SA227BC 1000 horsepower turbo prop; Fairchild SA227BC 1000 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Key Lime Air, Inc., doing business as same - Registered owner: EDB Air Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, October 1, 2006, 82 hours before - Departed: DEN, Denver, CO - Destination: GCC, Gillette, WY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: GCC, Gillette Campbell County, runway 21, 5,803 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 25; injuries: none; student, airline transport, flight instructor, private, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 2,550 total, 600 in this make and model, 2,450 as pilot in command, 230 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 43; injuries: none; flight instructor, private, commercial, student; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 1, 2006; seat: right; flight hours: 694 total, 20 in this make and model, 460 as pilot in command, 110 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 15 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: GCC ## 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 20061208026269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061208026269A), Dec 8, 2006: Swrngn SA227BC, Gillette, WY, Minor damage. (-23) On the morning of December 8, 2006, aircraft N779BC, experienced a hard landing at Gillette, Wyoming. The damage known at this time to the aircraft is… 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. --- 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.