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Crash of a Cessna 402B in Stuart

Date & Time: Mar 14, 2014 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N419AR
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fort Pierce - Stuart
MSN:
402B-0805
YOM:
1974
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
16000
Captain / Total hours on type:
8000.00
Aircraft flight hours:
5860
Circumstances:
According to the pilot, he checked the fuel gauges before departure and believed he had enough fuel for the flight. As he approached his destination airport, he was instructed by an air traffic controller to enter a 2-mile left base. About 3 miles from the airport, the controller advised him to intercept a 6-mile final. About 1 1/2 miles from the runway, the left engine “quit.” The pilot repositioned the fuel valve to the left inboard fuel tank and was able to restart the engine, but, shortly after, the right engine “quit.” He then attempted to reposition the right fuel valve to the right inboard fuel tank to restart the right engine, but the left engine “quit” again, and the pilot subsequently made a forced landing in a field. An examination of the engine and airplane systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The left wing fuel tanks were found empty. The right wing was found separated from the fuselage. No evidence of fuel was noted in the right wing fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel leakage was found at the accident site. The pilot reported that he saw fuel leaking out of the right wing fuel vent after the accident; it is possible that a small quantity of the airplane’s unusable fuel for the right tank could have leaked out immediately after the accident. Although the pilot believed that the airplane had enough fuel onboard for the flight, his assessment was based on his calculations of the airplane’s fuel burn during several short flights he made after having the airplane topped off with fuel the night before the accident; he did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks before departing on the accident flight. The lack of fuel in the fuel tanks, the lack of evidence of fuel leakage, the loss of engine power in both engines, and the lack of mechanical anomalies are consistent with fuel exhaustion.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s improper preflight planning and fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of power in both engines due to fuel exhaustion.
Final Report:

Crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Marquise in Fort Pierce: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 2006 at 1224 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N316PR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fort Pierce - Murfreesboro
MSN:
761
YOM:
1980
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
11000
Captain / Total hours on type:
2000.00
Aircraft flight hours:
4073
Circumstances:
Witnesses stated that they observed the twin-engine airplane roll into a steep right bank and enter a spin at a low altitude (less than 700 feet) during the initial climb. The airplane then descended and impacted terrain about 1.5 miles from the end of the departure runway. Some witnesses reported hearing an unusual engine noise just before the airplane began to roll and spin. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Examination of the right engine revealed that the ring gear support of the engine/propeller gearbox had fractured in flight due to high cycle fatigue originating from the corner radii of the high-speed pinion cutout. The reason for the fatigue could not be determined. The ring gear support disengaged from the ring gear due to this failure, resulting in a disconnection in power being transferred from the engine power section to the propeller. In addition to the ability for a pilot to manually feather the propellers, and an automatic feathering feature, the engine (Honeywell TPE-331) design also includes a “Negative Torque Sensing” (NTS) system that would automatically respond to a typical failed engine condition involving a propeller that is driving the coupled engine. Feathering the propeller reduces drag and asymmetric yawing due to the failed engine. All Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification evaluations for one-engine inoperative handling qualities for the airplane type were conducted with the NTS system operational. According to the airplane manufacturer, the NTS system was designed to automatically reduce the drag on the affected engine to provide a margin of safety until the pilot is able to shut down the engine with the condition lever. However, if a drive train disconnect occurs at the ring gear support, the NTS system is inoperable, and the propeller can come out of feather on its own, if the disconnect is followed by a pilot action to retard the power lever on the affected engine. In this scenario, once the fuel flow setting is reduced below the point required to run the power section at 100% (takeoff) rpm, the propeller governor would sense an “underspeed” condition and would attempt to increase engine rpm by unloading the propeller, subsequently driving the propeller out of feather toward the low pitch stop. This flat pitch condition would cause an increase in aerodynamic drag on one side of the airplane, and unanticipated airplane control difficulty could result due to the asymmetry.
Probable cause:
The pilot’s loss of aircraft control during the initial climb which was precipitated by the sudden loss of thrust and increase in drag from the right engine, and the pilot’s failure to adhere to the published emergency procedures regarding the position of the failed engine power lever. Contributing to the accident was the fatigue failure of the right engine’s ring gear support for undetermined reasons, which rendered the propeller’s automatic drag reducing system inoperative.
Final Report:

Crash of a Learjet 55 Longhorn in Boca Raton: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 2000 at 1141 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N220JC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Boca Raton - Fort Pierce
MSN:
55-050
YOM:
1982
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
15180
Aircraft flight hours:
8557
Circumstances:
The Learjet departed from an uncontrolled airport about 2 minutes before the accident on a on a VFR climb and was not talking to ATC. The Extra EA-300S departed VFR from a controlled airport and requested and received a frequency change from the control tower 2 minutes after departure. Review of radar data revealed that the Extra climbed to 2,500 feet on a heading of 346 degrees before descending to 2,400 at 1141:25. The Learjet was observed on radar in a right crosswind departure passing through 700 feet on a heading of 242 degrees at 1141:02. At 1141:16, the Learjet was at 1,400 feet heading 269. At 1141:30, the Extra is observed on radar at 2,400 feet, in a right turn heading 360 degrees. The Learjet is observed on radar at 1141:28 in a climbing left turn passing through 2,300 feet. The last radar return on both aircraft was at 1141:30.
Probable cause:
The failure of the pilot's of both airplanes to maintain a visual lookout (while climbing and maneuvering) resulting in an in-flight collision and subsequent collision with residences and terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft B60 Duke in Gaston: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1989 at 1642 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N78TW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gastonia – Fort Pierce
MSN:
P-445
YOM:
1977
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
1290
Captain / Total hours on type:
26.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1669
Circumstances:
After obtaining a weather briefing in which he was informed of thunderstorms and current sigmets for his intended route of flight, the pilot elected to depart his home airport on a personal flight. At the time of departure, witnesses indicated the presence of thunderstorms adjacent to the airport. After trying to obtain his IFR clearance from charlotte, the pilot was issued his IFR clearance when approaching Columbia, SC. The pilot had deviated around at least one thunderstorm while approaching Columbia. The pilot had been cleared to climb to his requested altitude of 17,000 feet and had reached 16,400 when the radar return was observed to indicate a descent and then was lost. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the airplane exit the clouds in flames. The evidence indicated that the horizontal tail had separated followed by the wings and other components of the airplane. No evidence of separation due to structural weakening from heating was found. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot exercised questionable judgement in initiating a flight into an area of known thunderstorms. Further, either deliberately or inadvertently entered a thunderstorm and overstressed the airframe structure resulting in an inflight separation of the aerodynamic surfaces.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Fort Pierce

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1982 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N747CE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Montego Bay - Fort Lauderdale
MSN:
31-673
YOM:
1970
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
5211
Circumstances:
The aircraft crashed at night near a private strip in marginal weather conditions. The gear was found in the up position, the right engine was broken off, the nose section was crushed back to the windshield, and both propellers were bent and twisted. About 1,300 lbs of marijuana was found on board.
Probable cause:
Occurrence #1: in flight collision with terrain/water
Phase of operation: unknown
Findings
1. (f) stolen aircraft/unauthorized use - performed - pilot in command
2. (f) light condition - dark night
3. (f) weather condition - low ceiling
4. (c) vfr flight into imc - continued - pilot in command
5. (c) altitude - misjudged - pilot in command
6. (f) visual/aural perception - pilot in command
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 207 Skywagon in Vero Beach

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1976 at 1152 LT
Registration:
N1578U
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hilton Head - Fort Pierce
MSN:
207-0178
YOM:
1970
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
32000
Circumstances:
En route from Hilton Head to Fort Pierce, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing. He reduced his altitude and attempted to land near Vero Beach when the airplane struck trees and crashed. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and both occupants escaped with minor injuries.
Probable cause:
Powerplant failure for undetermined reasons.
Final Report: