Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Helena Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Helena, Montana 59601
Tuesady, August 22, 2006 17:15 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, after flying the turbine-powered amateur-built experimental airplane in the local area for about 40 minutes, he returned to the airport to practice some takeoffs and landings. After completing the first landing, he departed and was climbing out with the landing gear and flaps retracted when he "noticed flames coming out of the right side exhaust stack." The engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted irrigation ditches and a fence. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and reported that the right wing spar was broken. He further reported observing dents in the exhaust stacks that appeared to be from turbine blade material breaking off the turbine wheels and exiting the engine. The inspector oversaw a read out of engine parameters stored in avionics equipment installed in the airplane. According to the inspector, the data revealed "over temp and over torque of the engine for in excess of 60 seconds." The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by having equipment installed in the airplane that would prevent turbine overtemperature by automatically limiting the fuel flow to the turbine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The total loss of engine power as a result of turbine over temperature due to the pilot's failure to follow proper procedures for engine operation. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the ensuing forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/22/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1715 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Helena |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59601 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 463625N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1115858W |
| Event Location Airport | Helena Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HLN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3877 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HLN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3877 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 36 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 21026 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 22 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2007 11:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena, MT |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N514PT |
| NTSB Number | SEA06LA167 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Kinnson |
| Aircraft Model | Lancair IV-P Turbine |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | LIV-498 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 188 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Eduardo A. Toledo |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Miami |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HLN |
| Departure City | Helena |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1623 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HLN |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2006 4:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| 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 | -- |