- Date
- August 27, 1985, 10:28 local (17:28 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 4 minor, 13 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N139WWSwearingen SA226TC Metro II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850827075949A
- Case key
- 24530
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While in cruise flight at 16,000 feet one of the three propeller blades separated at the shank. The unbalanced condition twisted the eng from its mounts and into the fuselage. The cabin was punctured and rapid decompression followed. The crew was able to control the acft and land without further damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N139WW
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA226TC Metro II (SA226TC ME)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC413
- Airframe hours
- 9,155
- Engine
- Airesearch TPE331-1QUA, 940 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Wings West, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Fairchild Aircraft Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 23, 1985
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- MCE · Merced, CA
- 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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,713 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 3,280 as pilot in command · 280 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCE, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.