Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sarasota, Florida
Monday, July 12, 2004 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Raytheon Beechjet 400A was descending through flight level 390 when both of the engines flamed out and lost all power while operating in instrument meteorological conditions with convective storms in the area. The pilots, after several attempts, were able to get one engine restarted as the airplane was descending through 10,000 feet and diverted to a nearby airport. Testing of the engines immediately after the incident revealed that they were operating correctly. Testing of the fuel revealed that it conformed to the specifications for Jet A, but the fuel system icing inhibitor (FSII) was significantly below the required concentration. The investigation of two subsequent dual-engine flame out incidents revealed the FSII was not a factor. Convective weather can lift significant amounts of water into the upper atmosphere that then form ice crystals. Research indicates that the ice crystals can partially melt passing through the JT15D-5 engine fan that can then accrete to an internal compressor stator. When any accreted ice was shed from the stator vanes, it would pass through the high pressure compressor and could be picked up by the pressure sense line to the fuel control. Flight tests confirmed that sense line could go below freezing at low power settings at high altitude. Other tests showed that if the sense line was blocked and the power levers were retarded, the electronic engine control would reduce the fuel flow to reduce the power, but the sense pressure within the fuel control would be maintained. But when the blockage was cleared, the sudden reduction in the sense pressure in the fuel control would result in a reduction of the fuel flow at a rate that was much faster than a normal rapid power reduction and could result in the engine flaming out.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
High-altitude ice crystals that had accreted on the compressor vanes and were ingested into the high pressure compressor when the pilots retarded the power levers causing compressor surges and flameouts of both engines. Contributing factors were the lack of training on the hazards of high-altitude ice crystals to gas turbine engines and guidance to the pilots to activate the engine anti-ice system in conditions where high-altitude ice crystals may exist.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 7/12/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sarasota |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 9 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22861 |
| NTSB Notification Source | |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 13 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2007 6:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Tampa |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N455CW |
| NTSB Number | ENG04IA021 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Raytheon Corporate Jets |
| Aircraft Model | Beechjet 400A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | RK-365 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 585 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Flight Options |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 26180 Curtiss Wright Parkway |
| Aircraft Owner City | Richmond Heights |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 44143 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Flight Options |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 26180 Curtiss Wright Parkway |
| Operator City | Richmond Heights |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 44143 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KDUC |
| Departure City | Duncan |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KRSW |
| Destination City | Fort Myers |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 21 2013 2:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | hopj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |