Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Boulder City, Nevada 89139
Sunday, July 23, 2000 13:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

After a complete loss of power from the left engine, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude on one engine and collided with large rocks during a landing on a beach at a recreation lake. Following a maximum gross weight takeoff, the airplane climbed to a cruise altitude of 9,500 feet msl. About 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot heard a loud "pop" sound and the left engine surged once. The pilot immediately turned around and started back toward lower terrain. He then attempted to restore power by following the checklist items, but was unsuccessful, and he then completed the shutdown and feather checklists. While proceeding to the closest airstrip for a landing, the airplane would not hold altitude at best single engine rate of climb airspeed and began to drift down. The pilot believed he would have an insufficient altitude margin to make any of the nearby landing airstrips or clear the mountainous terrain between his position and the departure airport. The pilot elected to land on the beach of a lake. During the landing rollout, the aircraft encountered moderately sized rocks and collapsed the nose and left landing gear. The left engine was installed on a test stand and examined. The only discrepancy was a fractured fuel injector line for the No. 6 cylinder injector nozzle. The fracture was completely through the line near the manifold end at a brazed joint between the line and a larger diameter ferrule end. No support clamps were observed on this line between the manifold and the injector nozzle. Support clamps were found on the injector lines to the remaining 5 cylinders. The fractured fuel injector line on the No. 6 cylinder was replaced with a serviceable line and the engine was started, accelerated to full power, and met all specifications. Metallurgical examination of the fractured fuel injector line found that it failed in fatigue from multiple origin sites on the line's outer surface. No material defects or mechanical damage, which could have contributed to the crack initiation, was found at any origin site. No evidence of clamps was found at any point along the line length. AD 93-02-05 applied to this engine and mandated compliance with Lycoming Service Bulletin 342A. The provisions of the AD and the SB require a one time inspection, then recurring inspections of the fuel injector lines at each 100-hour inspection, at each overhaul, and after any maintenance has been performed where the lines have been disconnected, moved or loosened. The line inspection involves looking for any evidence of cracks, dents, or other unserviceable wear indicators. The SB requires that any line found without clamps supporting the line run must be replaced, and that each line must be clamped. Specific clamping points for each line are noted on a diagram for each engine model incorporated within the Service Bulletin. The engine was last inspected on July 14, 2000, 23 hours prior to the accident. The fuel injection system on this engine is a constant flow type and a leak in any one line would reduce the flow to the other cylinders, which would result in an excessively lean condition. Based on both the pilot's report of the conditions at the landing site and the METAR from the closest aviation observation station, the density altitude on the surface was calculated to be 4,700 feet. The outside air temperature at the site, and the estimated temperature at the aircraft's cruise altitude, were outside of the temperature envelope for a positive rate of climb on the aircraft's single engine climb performance chart in the Airplane Flight Manual. According to Piper, the temperature lines on the charts are limits and no extrapolation can be made for points outside of the temperature lines.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The fatigue fracture and separation of the No. 6 cylinder fuel injector line due to the company maintenance personnel's failure to comply with an Airworthiness Directive. A factor in the accident was the company's decision to operate the aircraft in environmental conditions, which were outside of the single engine performance capability of the aircraft.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/23/2000
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City BOULDER CITY
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89139
Event Date Year 2000
Event Date Month 7
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1256 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID LAS
Elevation of weather observation facility 2179
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 13000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 104
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 52
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 4700
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 10
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 10555
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Jul 23 2000 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1410
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Sep 26 2001 10:21AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N600EE
NTSB Number LAX00LA277
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-31-350
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-31-350
Aircraft Serial Number 31-7952158
Certified Max Gross Weight 7000
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 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jul 14 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 23
Airframe Hours 17174
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARTERCRAFT LEASING AND SALES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7650 W. COURTNEY CAMPBELL
Aircraft Owner City TAMPA
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33607
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR BRIDGE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1201 AIRPORT RD
Operator City BOULDER CITY
Operator State NV
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 89139
Operator Code BROA
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 61B
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1250
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GCN
Destination City GRAND CANYON
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 2 2001 4:00AM
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 --