Analysis
The commercial pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the engine "sputtered" twice and then lost total power. He switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank, but the engine would not restart, so he chose to activate the airframe parachute system. The parachute deployed normally, and the airplane touched down in a lawn adjacent to an industrial complex.
An examination of the engine revealed that the camshaft gear had numerous missing or smeared teeth, and metal particles were found inside the oil filter element and oil sump. Additional metallurgical examination revealed that the first fractured tooth, located about 180° from the timing mark, failed due to fatigue. Most of the remaining broken or missing teeth exhibited overload signatures. Camshaft gear hardness was measured, and it met the manufacturer's specifications.
In August 2005, the engine manufacturer issued a service bulletin (SB), which called for the replacement of the camshaft gear with an improved, wider gear design "at next engine overhaul or at camshaft gear replacement." The recommended overhaul time for this engine was 2,000 hours or 12 years, whichever occurred first. At the time of the accident, the engine was 15 years old, had accumulated 1,544 hours in service, and had never been overhauled. At the time of the accident, the SB had not been complied with and the improved camshaft gear had not been installed in the engine.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The total loss of engine power, which resulted from the failure of the camshaft gear due to fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the owner/operator's failure to comply with the engine manufacturer's recommended overhaul interval.
Findings
Aircraft
Recip engine power section - Fatigue/wear/corrosion (Cause)
Recip engine power section - Failure (Cause)
Personnel issues
Scheduled/routine maintenance - Owner/builder (Factor)
Use of policy/procedure - Owner/builder (Factor)
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmingdale, New York
Cirrus Aircraft; Duluth, Minnesota
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
NTSB Identification: ERA16LA124
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, March 05, 2016 in Hauppauge, NY
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N295AR
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On March 5, 2016, about 1508 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, N295AR, was substantially damaged following a total loss of engine power and forced landing at Hauppauge, New York. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Advance Wellness and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight from Groton, Connecticut (GON) to Farmingdale, New York (FRG) originated about 1430.
According to the pilot, during cruise flight, at 2,200 feet mean sea level, the engine "sputtered" twice, then lost all power. The fuel selector was on the left tank, so he switched to the right tank and attempted a restart. The engine would not restart, so he elected to activate the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The CAPS deployed normally and the airplane touched down in a lawn adjacent to an industrial complex near Hauppauge. The pilot and passenger exited the cockpit and first responders arrived to assist.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Structural damage to fuselage was evident. The wing fuel tanks contained fuel. An initial inspection of the engine with a borescope revealed physical evidence of valve strikes to the top surfaces of all six pistons.
The engine was removed from the airframe and sent to the manufacturer's facility for further examination. During the disassembly of the engine, the starter adapter was removed, and damage to the camshaft gear teeth was noted. The oil filter was removed and opened; metal particles were found inside the filter element. Several metal particles were found in the oil sump after removal. The cylinders were removed; each piston head exhibited valve strike signatures. The camshaft was removed from the engine case. The camshaft was intact; however, about 50% of the camshaft gear teeth were smeared or missing.
Metallurgical examination of the failed camshaft gear teeth revealed that the first fractured tooth, located about 180º from the timing mark, failed from fatigue. The fracture surface exhibited beach marks and multiple initiation areas at the surface of the tooth. From the direction of the crack growth indicated by the arrest lines, the tooth separated in the direction of loading from engine operation by the mating crankshaft gear. Most of the remaining broken or missing teeth exhibited overload signatures. Camshaft gear hardness was measured with a diamond slim profile penetrator and met the manufacturer's specifications.
The engine, model number IO-550-NB7, was built on February 25, 2001, and had accumulated 1,543.7 hours at the time of the accident. On August 9, 2005, Continental Motors Inc. issued Service Bulletin SB05-08, which called for the replacement of the camshaft gear with an improved gear, nominally 0.060" wider. The bulletin compliance time was, "At next engine overhaul or at camshaft gear replacement." The recommended overhaul time for this engine was 2,000 hours or 12 years, whichever occurred first. At the time of the accident, the service bulletin had not been complied with and the accident airplane's engine did not have the improved camshaft gear installed.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, March 05, 2016 in Hauppauge, NY
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N295AR
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On March 5, 2016, about 1508 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, N295AR, was substantially damaged following a total loss of engine power and forced landing at Hauppauge, New York. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Advance Wellness and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight from Groton, Connecticut (GON) to Farmingdale, New York (FRG) originated about 1430.
According to the pilot, during cruise flight, the engine sputtered twice, then went quiet. The fuel selector was on the left tank, so he switched to the right tank and attempted a restart. The engine would not restart, so he elected to activate the Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS). The CAPS deployed normally and the airplane landed in a lawn adjacent to an industrial complex near Hauppauge. The pilot and passenger exited the cockpit and first responders arrived to assist.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Structural damage to fuselage was evident. The wing fuel tanks contained fuel. An initial inspection of the engine revealed physical evidence of valve strikes to the top surfaces of all six pistons.
The engine was retained for further examination.
Pilot Louis Obergh and his daughter Rachel.
Surveillance video: http://abc7ny.comIt was a father-daughter excursion that nearly ended in a disaster. The small plane Louis Obergh was piloting with his daughter inside lost engine power about 2,000 feet in the sky on Saturday.
Obergh, radioed for help as he deployed a parachute attached to the plane. The parachute system allowed the Cirrus SR22 aircraft to drop slowly to the ground, missing a building by just ten feet.
"I didn't even know until today that planes even had parachutes," said Tom Sini, Suffolk County Police Commissioner.
Police say Obergh and his daughter were coming back from looking at colleges in Connecticut. They were heading back to Republic Airport in Farmingdale when they ran into trouble. The aircraft crashed on a grassy area of an industrial park in Hauppauge eight miles east of Republic Airport, shortly after 3 p.m.
"We got lucky, very lucky. Never expected to ever have a problem like this," said Obergh.
Obergh only suffered a minor scratch to his head - his daughter was uninjured. They refused medical attention. Officials say they were both shaken up, because once that parachute deployed, there is no way of knowing where you will land.
"Once parachute deployed, you do lose some control, so it's hard to know," says Obergh.
The FAA and the NTSB continue to investigate.
Officials say given the minor injuries in this case this could be a relatively quick investigation.
Surveillance video: http://abc7ny.com
We turn to an amazing survivor story.
This one involves a father and daughter.
Lucky and grateful to be alive this morning after a plane crash.
They made it out after the engine failed thanks to an emergency parachute.
The plane intact because of the pilot's quick, calm reaction and the safety feature.
Pilot: We got very lucky. Very lucky.
Reporter: A close call crash on Long Island.
This father and daughter able to walk from the wreckage thanks to this parachute.
Pilot: The engine died. And I pulled the parachute. We landed.
Reporter: Louis Oberg, left with only a scratch. His teenage daughter Rachel with a relieved smile, after her college tour turned into a brush with catastrophe.
Pilot: We were coming from the university of Rhode Island. Looked at colleges. We had a problem on the way home.
Reporter: Problems with the Cirrus SR22 plane forced dad to attempt an emergency landing eight miles from their final destination at a small airport. They didn't make it that far.
Pilot: Alpha Romeo lost the engine.
Reporter: He popped the parachute and came down in an industrial park, just feet from this building.
ATC: He landed somewhere in the vicinity of the midfield, right downwind.
Reporter: Authorities saying a bit of luck helped that plane miss hitting the building.
Once the parachute is deployed, you lose some sort of control where the plane will come down. That's why the exact landing of this plane is very fortunate.
Reporter: Last November, another small plane in Arkansas using its parachute to land. This time in the middle of a busy road. Hitting a truck. We're very fortunate that no one was hurt any worse than they were.
Reporter: Back on long Island, rescuers rushing in, finding the father-daughter duo without serious injuries.
Pilot: Never expected to have a problem like this.
Reporter: The pilot shaken. Uncertain if he'll fly again.
Pilot: We'll see. We'll see. It's a scary day.
Reporter: Understandable.
The wreckage out here this morning while the FAA and NTSB investigate.
This transcript has been automatically generated.
Obergh, radioed for help as he deployed a parachute attached to the plane. The parachute system allowed the Cirrus SR22 aircraft to drop slowly to the ground, missing a building by just ten feet.
"I didn't even know until today that planes even had parachutes," said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tom Sini.
Police say Obergh and his daughter were coming back from looking at colleges in Connecticut. They were heading back to Republic Airport in Farmingdale when they ran into trouble. The aircraft crashed on a grassy area of an industrial park in Hauppauge eight miles east of Republic Airport, shortly after 3 p.m.
"We got lucky, very lucky. Never expected to ever have a problem like this," said Obergh.
Obergh only suffered a minor scratch to his head - his daughter was uninjured. They refused medical attention. Officials say they were both shaken up, because once that parachute deployed, there is no way of knowing where you will land.
"Once parachute deployed, you do lose some control, so it's hard to know," says Obergh.
The FAA and the NTSB continue to investigate. Officials say given the minor injuries in this case this could be a relatively quick investigation.
Story and video: http://abc7ny.com
Pilot Louis Obergh, left, and his daughter Rachel, of Syosett, hug one another at scene where their plane crashed into the front lawn of a business at 225 Marcus Blvd. in Hauppauge on Saturday afternoon, March 5, 2016. Obergh and his daughter both escaped with minor injuries and refused medical treatment.
The single-engine Cirrus SR22 force landed on the front lawn of a factory on Marcus Boulevard. Father and daughter were shaken afterward, hugging one another in relief, but declined medical treatment, officials said.
“We got very lucky,” Louis Obergh, the pilot, said at the scene. “It’s a scary day.”
Rachel Obergh, 17, a student at Wantagh High School, said her father was giving her some in-flight instruction when the engine suddenly failed shortly after 3 p.m.
“He was showing me the controls for when I get my pilot’s license, and the engine just stopped,” said Rachel, whose father is a certified pilot. “It was one of those moments that’s just . . . really scary. The plane went down really fast.”
She said her dad was cool under pressure, activating the plane’s large emergency parachute.
“It’s a decision you have to make in a second,” Rachel said. “He told me ‘hold on.’ I was just sitting there in a panic.”
Suffolk Police Commissioner Tim Sini said the parachute deployed at about 1,500 feet, and it was “very fortunate” the plane landed safely — avoiding structures and traffic.
The drama unfolded as the Oberghs were flying home after touring the University of Rhode Island, which Rachel is considering attending.
They were approaching Republic Airport in Farmingdale when the engine failed and had to crash-land about 12 miles away. Authorities said the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating; the National Transportation Safety Board will try to determine the cause.
But the harrowing experience isn’t likely to stop Rachel from pursuing a pilot’s license.
“Usually you only get into a plane crash once in your life,” she said. “So I think the odds are pretty good for me now.”
Story and video: http://www.newsday.com
Louis Obergh with his daughter Rachel.“I have a little scratch on my head, and she bumped her knee, but that’s it,” pilot Louis Obergh, 50, of Syosset, said of himself and his daughter Rachel, 17.
Obergh, who owns a Long Island-based chain of physical therapy offices, had been returning in the four-seater plane with his daughter from a trip visiting colleges in Rhode Island.
“We were a half-hour out of Republic [Airport in Farmingdale] when the engine died,” he told The Post.
They had already begun their descent and were at about 2,000 feet — seconds away from crashing.
It got very quiet, he recalled.
“She’s been flying with me a long time; she knew what was happening,” said the pilot of 20 years. “She said nothing at all.”
In the freighted silence, Obergh tried to get the engine restarted, and failed. “So I had to make the decision on whether to try to land or pull the parachute,” he said.
“She was calm and cool,” he said of Rachel.
The Cirrus S22, which he owns through his company, Advance Wellness out of Wantagh, is the only plane with a built-in parachute, designed to slow the descent should the engine cut out when an emergency landing is not otherwise possible.
“When you have a 17-year-daughter on board, your first instinct is to pull the ‘chute. You’re not near an airport, and you don’t want to hit trees at 80 or 100 miles per hour,” he said.
He pulled the ceiling lever that releases the parachute, and said the only two words spoken during their terrifying descent.
“He told me to hold on and that’s what I did,” Rachel remembered. “I was too in shock to say anything. It’s like life flashes before your eyes.”
At that point, Obergh had basically ceded control to a swath of nylon and some heavy-duty cords.
“It’s pretty much like when you parachute down personally, with a person in a parachute,” he said. “You’re at the mercy of the winds, and you come down.
“You don’t want to land on a moving car, but if you land in trees or grass or even on a roof, you’re generally OK.”
They plummeted for about 30 seconds before hitting, with a thud, the front lawn of a filtration supply company on Marcus Boulevard.
“It’s not a soft landing,” he noted.
Original article can be found here: http://nypost.com
HAUPPAUGE, Long Island — A plane parachuted to safety when it made an emergency landing because of an engine-related problem on Saturday.
A Cirrus SR22 aircraft crashed in a grassy field near 224 Marcus Blvd at 3:10 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The pilot was planning to land at the Republic Airport in Farmingdale when the plane started to experience engine-related issues. They were eight miles away from the airport, the FAA said.
The pilot, Louis Obergh, deployed the plane's parachute and it glided them to safety.
The pilot and the daughter suffered a few abrasions and refused medical attention at the scene. The two were returning to Long Island after looking at colleges in Rhode Island. The father's action saved both their lives.
"It's a miracle when you see how it landed on the grass by the flagpole and the building and no one was hurt," Howard Cohen , an employee in a nearby company, told PIX11 News.
Cohen was working in the same industrial park aircraft safely and softly landed on the front lawn of the Pall Corporation, with its parachute ever-so-gracefully draped over part of the brick building.
"It was a unique situation," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said at at a news conference. "At about 1,500 feet, the pilot deployed the parachute and the plane landed here."
Since The injuries are minor, Suffolk county police expect the FAA's investigation to be wrapped quickly, perhaps within the next 24 hours.
A father and daughter managed to escape without serious injury after their small plane crashed unexpectedly in Long Island this afternoon.
The father, Louis Obergh, told Stringer News that they were traveling from a college visit in Rhode Island.
The Cirrus SR22 aircraft was approaching the runway at the Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York, when the pilot reported that the plane had an engine-related problem, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The plane then crashed in a grassy area of an industrial park in Hauppauge, New York, about eight miles northeast of the airport, the FAA said.
Photos from the scene show the plane on the ground with its parachute deployed.
The two people on board suffered non-life-threatening injuries, a Suffolk County official told ABC station WABC.
"We got very lucky," Obergh told Stringer News. "Never expected to ever have a problem like this."
The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause for the accident, the FAA said.
Original article can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com
Rachel Obergh
AIRCRAFT: 2001 Cirrus SR22 N295AR Serial # 0028
ENGINE – Continental IO550N 7 S/N: 685747 1543.7 hours (aprox)
PROPELLER – Hartzell PHC-J3YF-1RF S/N: FP13091B
APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated TT & TSMO from logbooks or other information): 1543.7 hours
DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT: In flight engine failure; parachute deployed by pilot.
DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES: Significant structural damage
LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT: MacArthur Airport, Ronkonkama New York
REMARKS: Aircraft tail cut off for transport. Engine disassembled.
Read more here: http://www.avclaims.com/N295AR.htm
Does anyone else find appalling that this gentleman would not only risk his life, but that of his daughter and the lives of folks on the ground, by setting off in an airplane lacking the requisite maintenance? This is gross negligence, bordering on recklessness. Good Lord!
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