Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
Friday, April 21, 1995 10:16 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD 'A PROBLEM...AN OVERBOOST SITUATION,' AND WANTED TO RETURN FOR LANDING. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, SO THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 26 APPROACH. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM THE LOW OVERCAST IN A WINGS LEVEL DESCENT, THEN PITCH OVER TO A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND IMPACT A SHOPPING CENTER SIGN. THE LEFT TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN (LOW BOOST) POSITION, AND THE RIGHT TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE WAS FOUND IN THE CLOSED (HIGH BOOST) POSITION. THE RIGHT TURBOCHARGER BUTTERFLY VALVE WAS SEVERELY ERODED, THE PIN WAS MISSING, AND THE VALVE WAS FREE TO ROTATE ON THE SHAFT. A HOLE WAS BURNT THROUGH THE RIGHT ENGINE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE. BOTH PROPELLERS WERE IN THE LOW PITCH-HIGH RPM RANGE. BOTH ENGINES AND TURBOCHARGERS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND HAD NOT BEEN OVERHAULED IN 21 YEARS. A TOXICOLOGY TEST SHOWED 0.564 MCG/ML OF SERTRALINE (ANTIDEPRESSANT) IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. SERTRALINE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING AN AIRCRAFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITONS AND THE EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD IMPOSED ON THE SOLO PILOT ATTEMPTING TO DEAL WITH AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHILE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/21/1995
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1016
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City CHEYENNE
Event State WYOMING
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 82009
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1024 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID CYS
Elevation of weather observation facility 6156
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 5888
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 906
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 21 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N711PS
NTSB Number FTW95FA177
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 60
Aircraft Series Identifier 60
Aircraft Serial Number P-4
Certified Max Gross Weight 6725
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 179
Airframe Hours 3462
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RML, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7214 TUMBLEWOOD DR.
Aircraft Owner City CHEYENNE
Aircraft Owner State WY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 82009
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HOMMEL, DANIEL J.
Operator Same as Owner? No
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
Owner has at least one certificate None
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code CYS
Departure City
Departure State WY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1006
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code COS
Destination City COLORADO SPGS
Destination State CO
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --