- Date
- February 13, 1992, 20:55 local (Feb 14, 1992, 03:55 UTC)
- Place
- Glenwood Spring, CO
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N26JBSwearingen SA-26AT
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920213005749A
- Case key
- 18147
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
Malfunction of the right engine fuel control that caused the engine to flame out, and delamination of the left engine compressor shroud. Factors were: the pilot became disoriented, the mountainous terrain, the dark night, and the weather conditions.
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 of the air ambulance feathered the right propeller after reporting 'a bit of a problem' with the right engine. He attempted to divert to the nearest suitable airport, but after receiving its latest weather report, elected to return to base. The airplane made a left turn, reentered IMC, and impacted a mountainside on a magnetic heading of 092 degrees. The heading to the airport of intended landing was 272 degrees. The accident occurred during a snow storm at night. All five occupants survived and were rescued the following afternoon. Thick grease on the right engine fuel control cam shaft prevented a Spring from returning the 3D cam to a lower altitude position. The cam was found struck on the shaft at a position equating to an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet. The fuel flow schedule for flight idle was below specifications. In addition, shroud material was found delaminated from the left engine second stage compressor housing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26JB
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA-26AT
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T26-163
- Airframe hours
- 3,988
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-1-151G, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Fowler, Richard L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 23, 1991 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- GJT · Grand Junction, CO
- Destination
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,600 total · 750 in this make and model · 8,550 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 27 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.