Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Beechcraft C99, registered to UAS Trans Services, N234AV: Incident occurred October 05, 2018 at Carbon County Regional Airport (KPUC), Price, Utah and Accident occurred August 01, 2016 in Spanish Fork, Utah County, Utah

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

October 05, 2018:  Ameriflight flight number 1844; gear collapsed on landing and aircraft slid off the runway.

https://registry.faa.gov/N234AV

Date: 05-OCT-18
Time: 14:00:00Z
Regis#: N234AV
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: C 99
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: AMERIFLIGHT
Flight Number: 1844
City: PRICE
State: UTAH

August 01, 2016
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

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


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


Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Analysis 

The commercial pilot of the scheduled cargo flight reported that, during cruise flight about 8,000 ft indicated altitude, he heard a small impact noise and believed that the airplane was struck by a bird. There was no loss of directional control, change in control configuration, or impact shudder. He continued the flight and subsequently landed without further incident. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed that about 12 inches of the top of the vertical stabilizer was missing, and that there was substantial damage to the rudder.

The separated top of the vertical stabilizer section was not recovered. The fracture surface of the upper section of the remaining vertical stabilizer was in a nearly horizontal plane. The skin was deformed adjacent to the fracture into curled rolls turning downward and aft. Some areas were crushed, consistent with the vertical stabilizer moving forward relative to another object. Sliding contact marks were observed at the leading edges, vertical spars, and deformed faces of the skin panel adjacent to the fracture. No evidence of any biological or manufactured foreign material transfer was observed associated with any of the fracture surfaces either visually or under optical magnification. Closer examination identified deposits of particles consistent with aluminum alloy 2024 and similar metallic element peaks. Other particles had spectra consistent with a low alloy steel, stainless steel, brass, and a nickel-base alloy with iron and chromium. The curling deformation to the skin and the deformation through the airplane structure was consistent with contact with a stationary object, such as a suspended cable. Given the diameter of the impact deformation and the materials found, it is likely that the airplane impacted overhead power transmission lines during a portion of the flight that was conducted at an altitude much lower than reported. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
An in-flight collision with power lines.

Findings

Personnel issues
Monitoring environment - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues
Wire - Effect on operation

Location: Spanish Fork, UT
Accident Number: WPR16LA155
Date & Time: 08/01/2016, 1850 MDT
Registration: N234AV
Aircraft: BEECH C 99
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Miscellaneous/other
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Scheduled 

On August 1, 2016, about 1850 mountain daylight time, a twin-engine turboprop Beech C-99 airplane, N234AV, collided with an object while in-flight near Spanish Fork, Utah. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The airplane was registered to UAS Trans Services and operated as AMF1843 by Ameriflight, LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 scheduled cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated from Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC), Price, Utah about 1830 and was destined for Salt Lake City, Utah.

The pilot reported that while about 8,000 - 8,500 ft indicated altitude, he heard a small impact noise and believed that the airplane was struck by a bird. There was no loss of directional control, change in control configuration, or impact shudder. He continued the flight and subsequently landed without further incident. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed about 12 inches of the top of the vertical stabilizer was missing, and there was substantial damage to the rudder.

The separated top of the vertical stabilizer section was not recovered. A section of the remaining upper area of the vertical stabilizer, rudder and the rudder trim were removed from the airplane and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory, Washington DC for examination. The materials engineer reported that the pieces were fractured in a nearly horizontal plane at the upper ends of the submitted pieces. The skin on the vertical stabilizer and rudder were deformed adjacent to the fracture into curled rolls turning downward and aft. Some areas were crushed consistent with the vertical stabilizer moving forward relative to another object. Sliding contact marks were observed at the leading edges, vertical spars, and deformed faces of the skin panel adjacent to the fracture. No evidence of any biological or manufactured foreign material transfer was observed associated with any of the fracture surfaces as observed visually and under optical magnification. Closer examination using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) identified deposits of particles consistent with aluminum alloy 2024, and similar metallic element peaks. Other particles had spectra consistent with a low alloy steel, stainless steel, brass, and a nickel-base alloy with iron and chromium. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 22, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 03/25/2016
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 04/25/2016
Flight Time:  1434 hours (Total, all aircraft), 177 hours (Total, this make and model), 845 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 177 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 24 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: BEECH
Registration: N234AV
Model/Series: C 99 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1986
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: U-234
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 07/05/2016, AAIP
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 11300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 34 Hours
Engines: 2 Turbo Prop
Airframe Total Time: 28737.5 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Pratt & Whitney
ELT: C91  installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: PT6A-36
Registered Owner: UAS TRANSERVICES INC
Rated Power: 750 hp
Operator: AMERIFLIGHT INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Commuter Air Carrier (135)
Operator Does Business As:
Operator Designator Code: JIKA

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPVU, 4497 ft msl
Observation Time: 1850 MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 16 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 318°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 12000 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 8°C
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 14000 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots, 20°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.03 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: PRICE, UT (PUC)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Destination: Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1830 MDT
Type of Airspace: Class E 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 40.018333, -111.482778 (est)

NTSB Identification: WPR16LA155
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Monday, August 01, 2016 in Spanish Fork, UT
Aircraft: BEECH C 99, registration: N234AV
Injuries: 1 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 August 1, 2016, about 1840 mountain daylight time, a twin-engine turboprop Beech C-99 airplane, N234AV, sustained substantial damage following a collision with an object in the vicinity of Spanish Fork, Utah. The airplane was operated as AMF1843 by Ameriflight, LLC, Dallas, Texas, as a visual flight rules scheduled cargo flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC), Price, Utah about 1825 destined for Salt Lake City, Utah. 

In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, the pilot said that he had departed PUC enroute to Salt Lake. He was in a cruise climb, climbing through about 8,500 feet when he noticed something pass the airplane in his peripheral vision, then felt a "thud" as something struck the airplane. He said that he thought it was a bird strike and there was no loss of control or abnormal control feel, so he elected to continue the flight to Salt Lake and landed uneventfully. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noticed that about 12 inches of the vertical stabilizer was missing and there was substantial damage to the rudder. 

Initial examination of the severed area of the stabilizer showed no evidence of organic material. The separated portion of the stabilizer has yet to be located. A detailed examination of the damaged area by the NTSB Materials Laboratory is pending.

4 comments:

  1. The “wire birds” strike again! Happy ending to what could have been a tragic event.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This accident was posted before. Why is it titled a gear collapse?? I see nothing in the report about a gear collapse.

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  3. Flightaware does show an extended period of near AGL flying toward the end of the flight.

    It is tempting to fly below the clouds but there are real hazards.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jim B, two different incidents are reported here on two different dates. Same AC.

    ReplyDelete