Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cherry Point Mcas /Cunningham Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cherry Point, North Carolina 28533
Thursday, May 3, 2007 14:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The retired military airplane was on an approximate 3-mile final approach to the runway when it experienced a loss of power in the right engine. The crew chief entered the cockpit and pushed the power levers forward when the pilot flying (PF) called for full power. The flightcrew did not comply with the memory items, nor did they comply with the "challenge and reply items" on the airplane's checklist, but instead, the pilot not flying (PNF) feathered the propeller on the left (operating) engine based solely on the PF's comment that he was holding right rudder. When the PNF perceived the left engine slowing down, but no reduction in drag, he un-feathered the left propeller. During the subsequent descent, the airplane struck power lines, trees, terrain, and was destroyed in a postcrash fire ignited by the downed power lines. Examination of the wreckage revealed heavy gauge wire wrapped around the left propeller, with signatures consistent with operation at impact. Examination of the right engine revealed a seized, inoperative dual magneto.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flightcrew's failure to comply with the published emergency procedure following a loss of engine power on the right engine. Contributing to the accident was the failure of a magneto in the right engine.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/3/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cherry Point |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28533 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 345403N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0765250W |
| Event Location Airport | CHERRY POINT MCAS /CUNNINGHAM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NKT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 29 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1417 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NKT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 29 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23839 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Naval Safety Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 2 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2008 11:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro, NC |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5234A |
| NTSB Number | NYC07LA107 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman |
| Aircraft Model | S-2B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 136404 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 26000 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 38 |
| Airframe Hours | 8962 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 62000 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Midland |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79711 |
| 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 | 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FKN |
| Departure City | FRANKLIN |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1342 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NKT |
| Destination City | CHERRY POINT |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 24 2008 10:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 05R |
| Runway Length | 8188 |
| Runway Width | 196 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |