Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Detroit Metro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Detroit, Michigan 48242
Friday, December 15, 1995 4:23 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the airplane's left engine started to surge. The airplane also began experiencing intermittent electrical surges which caused the instrument panel lights, cabin lights, and radios to go off and on. The pilot diverted to an alternate airport to land. He did not secure the left engine before landing because it was still developing some usable power. He placed the gear select handle in the down position and observed three green gear-down-and-locked lights. Prior to touchdown, both power levers were positioned to flight idle and no gear warning horn sounded. The airplane landed gear up. Postaccident examination revealed no abnormalities with the landing gear or electrical system. The landing gear emergency extension functioned properly. The landing gear indicating system showed a safe gear indication when the gear was extended during examination. Substantial damage to the gear doors was observed, but no damage to the landing gear was observed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. A factor in the accident was the pilot's diverted attention.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/15/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 423 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | DETROIT |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48242 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DETROIT METRO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DTW |
| 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 | 640 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 403 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 640 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1809 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 15 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2102 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31AT |
| NTSB Number | CHI96LA053 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Swearingen |
| Aircraft Model | SA-226AT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SA-226AT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AT057 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 27 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 54 |
| Airframe Hours | 6965 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WJN CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7005 BOEING DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | EL PASO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79925 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR TRANSPORTATION INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7007 BOEING DRIVE |
| Operator City | EL PASO |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 79925 |
| Operator Code | GSGA |
| 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 | FNT |
| Departure City | FLINT |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 410 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | DTW |
| 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 | 21R |
| Runway Length | 12001 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |