- Date
- February 27, 1987, 20:00 local (Feb 28, 1987, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 87 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N356PSBritish Aerospace BA146-200A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870227008069A
- Case key
- 25384
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
Failure of company maintenance personnel to adequately examine the engine lubrication system when contamination was detected.
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 flight was uneventful during takeoff and climb to an assigned cruise altitude of FL260. Approximately 40 minutes after takeoff the number 3 engine experienced an uncontained failure of the turbine blades on the number 4 power turbine wheel. Although debris from the engine penetrated the pressure vessel, the pilot made an unscheduled landing at an airport without further incident. Examination of the engine revealed that ferrous chips were contaminating, and oil was bypassing the engine oil filter for at least 40 days. However, no corrective action was taken by company maintenance personnel. The oil and filter were changed three times in the three months previous to the accident. The exam revealed that the contaminated oil contributed to the failure of the number four turbine bearing subsequently leading to overheating and damage to the overspeed sensors. The turbine oversped and the turbine blades departed the turbine disc.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N356PS
- Reported as
- British Aerospace BA146-200A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E2039
- Airframe hours
- 4,662
- Engine
- Lycoming ALF502R-5, 6,970 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Pacific Southwest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Connecticut Nat'L Bank
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 21, 1987
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FAT · Fresno Air Terminal, runway 11L, 9,218 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,592 total · 1,579 in this make and model · 18,000 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 50 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.