Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rachel, Texas 78353
Thursday, September 9, 2004 6:14 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A single-engine airplane, operating in dark night instrument meteorological conditions as a Part 135 mail cargo flight, impacted terrain after an in-flight break up. Several minutes before the impact, the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had lost his vacuum pump. An on-site examination of the wreckage revealed that the vacuum pump the drive was separated from the engine and the flex coupling displayed a torsion-type separation with coupling wear consistent with engine operation after the separation. Disassembly of the model 211CC vacuum pump revealed the following. A number was assigned to each of the rotor segments and the corresponding vanes were marked and removed from their respective slots. Five of the six vanes were intact, and vane #4 was broken. Four pieces were reassembled to recreate approximately 80 percent of vane #4. Three of the four pieces were found in the mounting flange, and one piece was found in the back flange. The rotor segments were marked such that vane slot #4 is between segment 4 and segment 5. Upon examination of the walls of vane slot 4, a groove approximately .450 inches by .120 inches by .020 inches deep was found on both sides of the vane slot. These grooves corresponded in dimension and position to the portion of the vane that was missing. Three carbon pieces were found, which exhibited extensive wear, which, in two cases, were smooth and round like a "BB." The rear fracture surface of vane #4 exhibited a smooth, polished, spherical wear mark corresponding with the carbon pieces found. The pump housing had severe wear such that there were washboard marks around its entire circumference. At the bottom of the bore, a burr was found on the edge of one of the back flange discharge ports. Corresponding rotational marks were found on the pump's rotor. According to Parker Hannifin, the rule of thumb for vane wear versus service life is: .025-inches of wear for every 100 hours of operation. Using Parker's original new vane length of .845 inches, the estimated time of operation of the vanes of the accident pump was approximately 1,380 hours. According to Parker the vacuum pump had been overhauled. Parker's service letters require replacement of model 211CC vacuum pumps after 500 hours of operation or 6 years from the date of manufacture, which ever occurs first. Examination of the directional gyro revealed that the housing was intact and the gyro was free to move. No rotational marks were found on the gyro or inside the housing. The turn coordinator gyro was examined and no rotational scoring was found when removed from the housing. A small portion of the housing was fractured and missing. The attitude indicator gyro was free to move within its housing and the housing was intact. No rotational scoring was noted when the gyro was removed from the housing. The filament of the vacuum enunciator bulb # PL33[0] exhibited stretching.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The total failure of the vacuum pump that resulted in an inoperative attitude gyro and spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of aircraft control by the pilot. Factors were; the prevailing instrument meteorological conditions, and the dark night light condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/9/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 614 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rachel |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78353 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 265756N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0981503W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SAT |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 625 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BKS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 112 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1144 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17957 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 9 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Antonio, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6209J |
| NTSB Number | FTW04FA235 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7680332 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 2 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 89.4 |
| Airframe Hours | 8411.38 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | San Antonio Piper Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8411 Mission Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Antonio |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78214 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SSF |
| Departure City | San Antonio |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 510 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MFE |
| Destination City | Mc Allen |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 2 2005 1:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |