Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chinle Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chinle, Arizona 86503
Wednesday, December 14, 1994 16:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE COMPANY DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT TO EITHER THE FAA OR SAFETY BOARD. AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FOUND THE DAMAGED AIRPLANE IN A HANGAR AT THE COMPANY BASE. THE PILOT AND A COMPANY MECHANIC ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ACCIDENT SUBMITTED WRITTEN STATEMENTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A POSITIONING FLIGHT TO PICK UP A MEDICAL EVACUATION PATIENT AT A DIRT AIRSTRIP. BOTH THE PILOT AND MECHANIC SAID THE APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN ON THE DIRT AIRSTRIP WERE NORMAL. THE MECHANIC SAID HE SAW THREE DOWN AND LOCKED GEAR LIGHTS BEFORE LANDING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAINS, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED DOWN PAST THE NORMAL NOSE GEAR CONTACT POINT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE AIRCRAFT NOSE THEN WENT TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A BARBED WIRE FENCE. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE MECHANIC REPORTED ANY UNUSUAL 'NOISES OR SENSATIONS' FROM THE NOSE GEAR DURING THE LANDING. BOTH THE PILOT AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR TRACKS WERE STRAIGHT ON THE RUNWAY UNTIL THE NOSE GEAR 'DUG IN AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT.' THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO THE LEFT WITH EVIDENCE OF A SIDE LOAD. THE UPPER RIGHT TRUNION FRACTURED FROM THE NOSE GEAR CASTING, AND THE FRACTURE FACE APPEARED TO BE INSTANTANEOUS OVERLOAD, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING CRACKS OR FLAWS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the overload failure of the nose gear trunion for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/14/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | CHINLE |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86503 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CHINLE AIRSTRIP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Q32 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5515 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1975 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 3 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1020 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N746CA |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 421C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 421C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 421C1049 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 30 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 91 |
| Airframe Hours | 4022 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CRITICAL AIR MEDICINE, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4141 KEARNY VILLA ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN DIEGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92123 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | IDUA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | T03 |
| Departure City | TUBA CITY |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | Q32 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 4200 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Discretionary |