- Date
- October 19, 1989, 10:17 local (15:17 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5820HCessna 414
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891019044189A
- Case key
- 22997
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
The failure of the right propeller unfeathering accumulator hose due to improper installation and chaffing, and the pilot's operation of the airplane beyond its engine out performance capability. Factors were inadequate company maintenance, and the pilot's continued operation with known mechanical malfunctions, and improper emergency procedures.
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
During the takeoff roll, the plt was advised by tower that he was trailing smoke. He disregarded the rpt as he had seen smoke before and thought it was a normal condition. He continued the takeoff. Shortly thereafter, the acft experienced a thrust loss of the rt eng. An attempt was made to return to the arpt, but it was unsuccessful. There was evidence of single eng performance degradation due to a 9.4% over gross condition and the plt's failure to raise the gear and feather the rt prop. The plt executed a forced landing into a vacant lot. Investigation revealed that the thrust loss was a result of the failure, due to chaffing, of the rt unfeathering accumulator hose which had been misrouted during eng installation. The original smoke observed by the plt was due to cracks in the rt exhaust sys which originated from previous weld repairs during eng installation. Neither condition had been identified by operator maintenance personnel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5820H
- Reported as
- Cessna 414
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 414-0642
- Airframe hours
- 2,296
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-J2, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eglin Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 18, 1989
- Departed
- SKF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- VPS · Eglin Afb, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SKF · Kelly Afb
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,332 total · 115 in this make and model · 14,132 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.