Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Butler, Florida 32054
Thursday, March 15, 1990 22:45 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 14,000 FT THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO TAMPA, AND 34 MINUTES LATER THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE ROOF OF A COVERED SIDEWALK AND THEN TREES. TEARDOWN OF THE LEFT ENG REVEALED THAT THE SEAL BETWEEN THE EXHAUST FLANGE & TURBOCHARGER WAS NOT INSTALLED; BOLT CLAMP WAS FINGER TIGHT. HEAT HAD MELTED WIRING HARNESS & MAG GROUNDING LEADS INSULATION; BOTH 'P' LEADS WERE GROUNDED. PILOT STATED THAT AFTER LOSING THE LEFT ENG HE INITIATED A LEFT TANK TO RIGHT ENGINE CROSSFEED, AND AFTER 20 MINUTES OF SINGLE ENG FLIGHT IN THIS CONFIGURATION THE RIGHT ENG QUIT. FLIGHT MANUAL STATES TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN CASE OF ONE ENG FAILURE. IN ADDITION, IT WARNS THAT WHEN FLYING ON ONE ENG & CROSSFEEDING FUEL, ABSOLUTE COORDINATED FLIGHT MUST BE MAINTAINED TO PREVENT UNPORTING OF THE TANK'S FUEL PICKUP TUBE WHEN THE TANK IS NOT FULL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INFLIGHT FAILURE OF THE LEFT ENGINE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL RESULTING IN HEAT DAMAGED MAGNETO LEADS AS A RESULT OF A MISSING EXHAUST FLANGE-TO-TURBOCHARGER SEAL. IN ADDITION, THE INFLIGHT POWER LOSS OF THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS CAUSED BY THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES IN THE AIRPLANE OPERATING HANDBOOK AND LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE RESULTING IN FUEL STARVATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/15/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2245 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LAKE BUTLER |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32054 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2258 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 5 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GNV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 152 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 338 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 15 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2340 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41148 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 4:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7443S |
| NTSB Number | MIA90FA090 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BUTLER |
| Aircraft Model | AEROSTAR 601 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AEROSTAR 6 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 61-0063 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6000 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 7 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 42 |
| Airframe Hours | 3234 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOP FLIGHT AIR SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4630 DOUGLAS ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | TAMAP |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33614 |
| 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 | HZTA |
| 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 | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRG |
| Departure City | JACKSONVILLE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2150 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | ATLANTA |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |