# NTSB WPR09LA219: Ellumax Leasing Epic LT, N653SB, Astoria, OR, April 24, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 24, 2009, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Astoria, OR - Coordinates: 46.192222, -123.835556 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.1922&lon=-123.8356&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 9, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Portland FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 73749 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09LA219 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73749/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73749 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA219 ## Probable cause The partial loss of engine power during climb to cruise due to the failure of the engine's fuel control unit. Contributing to the accident was the incorrect machining of an internal component of the fuel control unit, and the failure of the assembling technician to correctly inspect the unit's assembly. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (turbine/turboprop)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200/cases.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 67 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200/cases.md) - [Engine fuel and control: fuel controlling system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057320): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057320/cases.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 59 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057320/cases.md) - [Maintenance: fabrication](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062025): Personnel issues › Task performance · Other (probable cause); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062025/cases.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 30 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062025/cases.md) - [Inspection: post maintenance inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061515): Personnel issues › Task performance · Maintenance personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061515/cases.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 57 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061515/cases.md) - [Terrain: water](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 97 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-climb to cruise: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md) - [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05627PV), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis During a climb to en route cruise, the airplane's engine lost almost all power, and the pilot had to ditch in a river because he was unable to glide back to the departure airport. The power loss was due to a minimum fuel flow command from the fuel control unit as a result of the seizure of the fuel control flyweights. The seizure of the flyweights was due to their contamination with residue from a failed fuel control tachometer drive bearing. The bearing failed due to its preload spacer being machined incorrectly, and due to the failure of the assembling technician to detect the anomaly at the time the fuel control was assembled. ## Factual narrative On April 24, 2009, about 1645 Pacific daylight time, an Allumax Epic LT, N653SB, collided with the waters of the Columbia River during a forced landing near Astoria, Oregon. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the airplane, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which was en route to Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, departed Astoria Regional Airport about eight minutes prior to the accident. The accident occurred in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot filed an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan, but it had not yet been activated at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, he was climbing to his en route cruise altitude when the airplane's Pratt & Whitney PT6-67A turbo-propeller engine suddenly stopped producing power. He therefore immediately turned back toward the airport he departed from, with the intention of making a power-off landing at that location. Immediately after turning back toward the airport, the pilot used the engine restart emergency checklist in an attempt to reestablish engine power, but was unsuccessful in that attempt. As he neared the airport, the pilot realized that he was not going to be able to stretch the glide far enough to reach the runway, so he elected to ditch the airplane in the Columbia River near the shoreline of downtown Astoria. During the ditching attempt, one of the airplane's horizontal stabilizers was partially torn from the airframe. A post-accident teardown of the engine and its accessories determined that the fuel governor flyweights for the Woodward 8063-063 fuel control seized in the overspeed position, resulting in a command to the fuel governor to produce a minimum fuel flow (power roll-back). Further investigation revealed that the overspeed flyweights became seized because they were contaminated with metal particles from the disintegration of the fuel control unit tachometer drive bearing. The bearing was determined to have failed due to the tachometer shaft preload spacer (part number 3256-098) being machined out of parallel at the time of its production, and the failure of the assembling technician to correctly measure/inspect the spacer/bearing assembly at the time the fuel control was assembled. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N653SB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N653SB-2010-03-23), registration cancelled 2010-03-23, S/N 025 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ELLUMAX LEASING LLC EPIC LT - Registry model: [Ellumax Leasing EPIC LT](https://openairdocs.org/model/ellumax-leasing-epic-lt) (registry code 05627PV) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 025 - Airframe hours: 72 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6-67A 1200 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, December 10, 2008 - Departed: KAST, Astoria Regiona, OR - Destination: KBFI, Boeing Field, WA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 25, 2008; seat: left; flight hours: 1,550 total, 75 in this make and model, 1,460 as pilot in command, 75 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 54 °F ## 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 20090424053829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090424053829A), Apr 24, 2009: Ellumax Lea EPIC LT, Astoria, OR, Substantial damage. Pilot departed Astoria with approximately 1200 pounds of fuel. He made a maximum performance climb (2500 fpm) to 8,000 feet where he was leveling. He felt a… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73749. 3.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 698 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40317634&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pratt and Whitney Teardown Factual Notes (item 2, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40318849&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pratt%20and%20Whitney%20Teardown%20Factual%20Notes-Redacted.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 3, .PDF, 84 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330466&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF 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.