Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Powerplant System / Component Malfunction / Failure: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, N69286; accident occurred December 11, 2016 in Shoreham, Suffolk County, New York



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
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

http://registry.faa.gov/N69286

Dr. Inderpal Chhabra, pilot.

Location: Shoreham, NY
Accident Number: ERA17LA069
Date & Time: 12/11/2016, 1300 EST
Registration: N69286
Aircraft: BEECH A36
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On December 11, 2016, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Beech A36, N69286, was substantially damaged following a total loss of engine power during cruise flight and subsequent ditching in the Long Island Sound, near Shoreham, New York. The private pilot and a passenger were not injured. The airplane departed from Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), New York, New York and was destined for Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (BAF), Westfield, Massachusetts. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, after reaching a cruise altitude of 5,500 feet, the engine started running rough. The pilot then pushed the mixture, propeller, and throttle controls to the full forward position. The engine was still running rough and getting worse. The pilot then decided to turn around and return to ISP. During the turn back to the airport, the pilot noticed oil was covering the windscreen. He then declared an emergency and asked air traffic control for radar vectors to Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) Bridgeport, Connecticut. The air traffic controller told him to turn north to a heading of 360°, however, the pilot was having trouble keeping the airplane's wings level and did not want to turn that far to the north. The pilot then requested vectors to Calverton Executive Airpark (3C8), Calverton, New York. The controller told the pilot that 3C8 was 7 miles ahead of his current position.

At that time, the engine was still producing partial power and the pilot believed he could reach the airport. A few seconds later, he saw parts which he thought were from the propeller, separate from the airplane. The engine then lost total power and the pilot told the controller they would not make the airport and were going to ditch the airplane in the Long Island Sound. The pilot remembered that the airspeed indicator read 80 knots just before contact with the water. Once they ditched in the water, the pilot and passenger opened the door, egressed and swam to a rock that was close by and waited for rescue personnel to arrive.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right-wing spar was damaged and the engine had several holes in the crankcase. A front section of the crankshaft was fractured and the propeller was not recovered.

The engine was sent to the manufacturer's facility for teardown and examination. The teardown revealed that the #4 main bearing journal and the fracture surfaces displayed crack arrest and beach marks consistent with fatigue cracking. The crankcase mating surfaces also revealed signs of fretting at the #1, #2, #3 and #4 main bearing journal case halves. The surface of the #4 bearing journal was obliterated and the #3 main bearing journal showed signs of lock slot elongation. All six connecting rods displayed signatures of lubrication distress. Significant amounts of metal consistent with bearing material and crankcase debris were recovered from the oil sump and observed on the oil pickup tube screen. The through bolt breakaway torque values observed during the disassembly exam were low.

The crankshaft was forwarded to the NTSB Material Laboratory in Washington D.C. for examination. A bench binocular microscope examination of the fracture face revealed crack arrest marks typical of fatigue cracking. Scanning electron microscope examination of the fracture face revealed the origin of the fatigue crack contained mechanical damage from relative movement between the mating fracture faces that obliterated the fine fatigue crack origin features.

According to FAA and aircraft maintenance records, the airplane was originally issued an airworthiness certificate on February 18, 1984, and registered to the owner on October 9, 2014. It was powered by a Continental IO-550-B1A engine. According to maintenance records, the most recent annual inspection was conducted on June 10, 2016, with a recorded time in service of 1,648.3 hours. The engine had 6 new cylinders installed on May 21, 2012, and had accumulated 163.8 hours of service at the time of inspection. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 48, Male
Airplane Rating(s): 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): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/01/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 10/16/2016
Flight Time:  700 hours (Total, all aircraft), 250 hours (Total, this make and model), 31.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 1.1 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: BEECH
Registration: N69286
Model/Series: A36 UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: E-2152
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/10/2016, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3651 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 50 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1650 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: Installed
Engine Model/Series: 550
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None



Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KISP, 84 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1756 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 222°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3200 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 14000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction: 160°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.46 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 1°C / -8°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: NEW YORK, NY (ISP)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: WESTFIELD/SPRINGFIELD, MA (BAF)
Type of Clearance: VFR Flight Following
Departure Time: 1200 EST
Type of Airspace: Class E

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 40.956944, -72.908611 (est)

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