Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
Friday, January 20, 1989 9:25 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG FLT, CREW SHTDN RGT ENG WHEN WARNING LGT FOR GEARBOX OIL PRES ILLUMINATED & PRES WAS NOTED BLO MIN LMT OF 130 PSI. SHORTLY AFTER SECURING RGT ENG, L ENG LOST PWR. (FUEL TANK SHUTOFF VLV SWS & FUEL X-FEED VLV SW WERE LCTD NR EACH OTR.) ATMTS TO RESTART L ENG WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WITH LACK OF AC ELEC PWR, CAPT COULD NOT UNFEATHER RGT ENG FOR RESTART. DRG EMERG LNDG, ACFT WAS DMGD ON UNEVEN TRRN. OPNL CHECK OF RGT ENG (AT GND LVL) REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NML OPN. EXAM OF L ENG REVEALED TURBINE SECTION HAD OVERHEATED & TURBINE BLADES HAD SEVERE HEAT DMG. CAPT SAIDTHAT WHEN HE TRIED TO RESTART L ENG, FUEL VLVS WERE IN NORMAL PSN & PWR LEVER WAS 1' ABV IDLE. HE RECALLED AN ENG RPM OF8000, BUT DIDN'T RECALL IF HE HAD USED FEATHER BUTTON TO REDUCE RPM TO 3000 (AS DRCTD BY CHECKLIST). HE VERIFIED FUEL SWS WERE 'ON' & HE TRIED TO X-FEED FUEL (IN EVENT OF BLOCKAGE). X-FEEDING OF FUEL WAS NOT PART OF RESTART PROC. FLT MAN-UAL CAUTIONED ABT IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING PWR TO FLT IDLE, TO DECREASE FUEL FLOW TO ENG & MINIMIZE POSSIBLE OVERHEATING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADVERTENT DEACTIVATION OF FUEL TO THE LEFT ENGINE AS THE PILOT WAS MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURE. RELATED FACTORS WERE: LOW GEARBOX OIL PRESSURE (AT FLIGHT ALTITUDE), AND UNEVEN TERRAIN THAT WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/20/1989
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 925
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City BUENA VISTA
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81211
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 1
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 850 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID LXV
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
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) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -17
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) 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 5
Injury Total None 24
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1755
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 20 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 945
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40619
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:24PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N73160
NTSB Number DEN89FA064
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CONVAIR
Aircraft Model 580
Aircraft Series Identifier 580
Aircraft Serial Number 336
Certified Max Gross Weight 58156
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 53
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Dec 7 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 54108
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SIERRA PACIFIC AIRLINES INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7700 NORTH BUSINESS PARK DR.
Aircraft Owner City TUCSON
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85743
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ASPEN AIRWAYS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 3980 QUEBEC STREET, SUITE 217
Operator City DENVER
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80207
Operator Code ASPA
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 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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DEN
Departure City DENVER
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DRO
Destination City DURANGO
Destination State CO
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
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 --