Saturday, June 10, 2017

Meyers 200B, N229RS: Accident occurred July 19, 2016 near Huron Regional Airport (KHON), Beadle County, South Dakota

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: CEN16LA275
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 19, 2016 in Huron, SD
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/06/2017
Aircraft: MEYERS 200, registration: N229RS
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 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.

The pilot and passenger were on a cross-country personal flight when the pilot noticed oil on the airplane's windscreen. The pilot subsequently landed and had maintenance personnel inspect the airplane. Maintenance personnel noted that the crankshaft seal was leaking and identified several other discrepancies. The pilot chose to have the repairs completed. During the repairs, maintenance personnel noticed that the bolt holding the throttle cable bracket was loose, worn, and not safety wired. The maintenance facility did not have an exact replacement bolt, so the mechanic found a similar bolt, drilled a hole in the bolt head for the safety wire, and installed the bolt. The mechanic installed the safety wire through the throttle bolt and then down to the mixture control bolt. The pilot periodically inspected or observed the work as maintenance personnel finished the repairs on the airplane. The pilot also took a photo of the throttle linkage area, which showed that the safety wire was installed.

After the repairs were completed, the pilot conducted a local test flight. No problems were noted, and the pilot and passenger continued their flight. After an en route fuel stop, the airplane departed and reached 2,300 ft, at which point the engine lost power Although the engine remained at idle, it would not respond to the pilot's throttle inputs. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing to a field. Following the forced landing, the pilot re-entered the airplane to ensure that the electrical power and fuel and were off and that there was no fire. He then removed the engine cowling and found the throttle linkage "disconnected or broken."

A postcrash examination of the airplane, revealed that the bolt holding the throttle cable bracket was missing, which had allowed the throttle cable to "float," meaning that manipulating the throttle control from the cabin would not govern the engine's throttle position. The examination also revealed that the mixture control bolt was in place. However, the throttle cable bolt and associated safety wire were not found.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The partial loss of engine power due an unsecured throttle cable. Contributing to the unsecured throttle cable was the missing bolt and associated safety wire; the reason for the missing bolt and safety wire could not be determined.
 


The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Rapid City, South Dakota

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N229RS

NTSB Identification: CEN16LA275
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 19, 2016 in Huron, SD
Aircraft: MEYERS 200, registration: N229RS
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 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 July 19, 2016, about 1900 central daylight time, a Meyers 200B airplane, N229RS, conducted a forced landing to a field near Huron, South Dakota. The airline transport rated pilot was not injured and passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged during the landing. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a cross country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.

The pilot reported the cross-county flight originated from the Wendover Airport (KENV), Wendover, Utah, on July 17, 2016. During the flight, he noted oil on the windscreen, so he stopped in Casper, Wyoming, for maintenance personnel to look at the airplane. The pilot reported that maintenance personnel identified several discrepancies; the crankshaft seal was leaking, the propeller bolts did not have enough threads showing through the crankshaft flange, the throttle linkage connecting the landing gear warning horn was loose, and the fuel distributor drain fitting did not have an overboard line.

In addition, maintenance personnel also noted that a bolt holding the throttle cable bracket was loose. The bolt was worn and not safetied to the mixture control bolt. Since the maintenance facility did not have an exact replacement bolt, the mechanic selected a bolt, absent holes in the bolt head intended for safety wire. He then drilled a hole in the bolt head for the safety wire, and installed the bolt. The mechanic added that he installed the safety wire through the throttle bolt head, then down to the mixture control bolt. 

During the maintenance work, the airplane pilot/owner periodically inspected or observed maintenance personnel as noted by maintenance personnel and security camera footage provided by the maintenance facility. After the accident, the pilot provided the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector a photo of the throttle linkage area, and the photo confirmed that the safety wire was in place during that maintenance.

On July 19, 2016, after maintenance personnel completed work on the airplane, the pilot started the engine and completed an engine run-up. The pilot then took the airplane on a test flight around the traffic pattern, and after landing, the airplane was checked for leaks.

The pilot and passenger then continued their flight, stopping for fuel about 1830 at the Huron Regional Airport, (KHON), Huron, South Dakota. After departing and reaching an altitude of 2,300 ft, the pilot reduced the throttle, and the engine lost power. The engine then continued to run at idle power. The pilot manipulated the throttle; however, the engine only responded with momentary increases in rpms. Subsequently, the pilot conducted a forced landing in a field, and the airplane came to rest upright. Substantial damage was noted to the airplane's fuselage. 

Following the forced landing, the pilot added that after a period of time, he re-entered the airplane to ensure the electrical power and fuel and were off and there was no fire. In addition, he removed the engine cowling and found the throttle linkage was "disconnected or broken."

A post-crash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector, conducted after the pilot had removed the cowling, noted that the bolt holding the throttle cable was missing. This was the bolt that the maintenance personnel installed with the safety wire earlier that day. The absence of the bolt allowed the throttle cable to "float", meaning, manipulating the throttle control from the cabin, would not govern the engine's throttle position. The throttle bolt was not located. The mixture control bolt was in place; however, the safety wire which ran from the mixture control bolt to the throttle bracket bolt was also missing and not recovered.

The airplane was recovered to the salvage yard located at Beegles Aircraft Service, Greeley, Colorado. During an inspection there, Beegles personnel reported that after removing the top cowling, they found a loose bolt in an area of the bottom cowling. The bolt; however, had manufactured holes in the head, not new in appearance, and was not the missing bolt.

A review of FAA records revealed that the airplane's original Continental IO-470 engine was replaced with a Continental IO-550 engine under a field approval. The last annual inspection was completed on May 2, 2016, and the airplane had accumulated 10.44 hours, since the annual inspection.



NTSB Identification: CEN16LA275
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 19, 2016 in Huron, SD
Aircraft: MEYERS 200, registration: N229RS
Injuries: 2 Minor.

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 July 19, 2015, about 1900 central daylight time, a Meyers 200B airplane, N229RS, conducted a forced landing near Huron, South Dakota. The airline transport rated pilot and passenger received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.

The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the flight originated from Nevada. During the flight, he noted a little oil on the windscreen, so he stopped in Casper, Wyoming, for maintenance personnel to look at the airplane. After an en route stop at the Huron Regional Airport, (KHON), Huron, South Dakota, he continued his flight. However, shortly after departure, the airplane's engine lost power, he added that the engine did not stop, but went to idle power.

The pilot conducted a force landing in a field; the airplane came to rest upright, with the landing gear retracted. Substantial damage was noted to the airplane's fuselage.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

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