Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cascade, Montana 59421
Thursday, March 24, 2005 11:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was descending in light snow, at idle power, on an ILS approach when it passed through an area where the outside air temperature increased from eight degrees Fahrenheit to thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit in a time span of about 20 seconds. Soon thereafter the aircraft's engine suddenly stopped producing power. Because he was unable to get the engine restarted, he descended straight ahead, and eventually lowered the landing gear for an attempted off-field power-off landing. Although he was able to make an uneventful touchdown in a rough open snow-covered field, as the aircraft began to roll, its wheels sunk into the snow, and all three gear legs collapsed. When the gear collapsed the airframe contacted the terrain and sustained substantial damage. After the accident, recorded data was downloaded from the aircraft's electronic engine fuel control system, and it was determined that at the time of the power loss, fuel pressure to the engine was within normal parameters, but N1 rpm and ITT (inter-turbine-temperature) were dropping. An inspection of the engine did not reveal an evidence of any anomaly or malfunction, but it was discovered that just upstream from the compressor, and just downstream from the NACA-form engine air inlet ducts, was a protective screen with one-eight inch diameter openings in its surface. The loss of power during the sudden OAT increase was consistent with the previously dry snow becoming wet and heavy during the rapid temperature increase, and then accumulating on the aforementioned protective screen, starving the engine of inlet air.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The accumulation of wet snow on the engine inlet assembly protection screen during a rapid increase in outside air temperature, while on an instrument approach for landing. Factors include falling snow, a sudden and significant increase in outside air temperature, and rough, snow covered terrain in the area where the pilot found it necessary to attempt a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/24/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Cascade |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59421 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 471835N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1113058W |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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 | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18661 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 24 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 6:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | C-GUTT |
| NTSB Number | SEA05LA066 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Abbott |
| Aircraft Model | Glasair Legend |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 220 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Patriot Oil Corp. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Suite 300, 509 8th Ave SW |
| Aircraft Owner City | Calgary |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | T2P1G1 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Martin Abbott |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CYBW |
| Departure City | Springbank |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | CA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KGTF |
| Destination City | Great Falls |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 19 2005 9:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |