Convair 580 N73160

Summary

On 20 January 1989 at about 16:25 local time, a Convair 580 registered N73160, operated by Aspen Airways, was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. 29 people were on board and 5 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 January 1989 at 16:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Buena Vista, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.8305, -106.1404

Aircraft

Convair 580

Registration

N73160

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Aspen Airways

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Durango

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89FA064

5 people had minor injuries.

INADVERTENT DEACTIVATION OF FUEL TO THE LEFT ENGINE AS THE PILOT WAS MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURE. RELATED FACTORS WERE: LOW GEARBOX OIL PRESSURE (AT FLIGHT ALTITUDE), AND UNEVEN TERRAIN THAT WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG FLT, CREW SHTDN RGT ENG WHEN WARNING LGT FOR GEARBOX OIL PRES ILLUMINATED & PRES WAS NOTED BLO MIN LMT OF 130 PSI. SHORTLY AFTER SECURING RGT ENG, L ENG LOST PWR. (FUEL TANK SHUTOFF VLV SWS & FUEL X-FEED VLV SW WERE LCTD NR EACH OTR.) ATMTS TO RESTART L ENG WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WITH LACK OF AC ELEC PWR, CAPT COULD NOT UNFEATHER RGT ENG FOR RESTART. DRG EMERG LNDG, ACFT WAS DMGD ON UNEVEN TRRN. OPNL CHECK OF RGT ENG (AT GND LVL) REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NML OPN. EXAM OF L ENG REVEALED TURBINE SECTION HAD OVERHEATED & TURBINE BLADES HAD SEVERE HEAT DMG. CAPT SAIDTHAT WHEN HE TRIED TO RESTART L ENG, FUEL VLVS WERE IN NORMAL PSN & PWR LEVER WAS 1' ABV IDLE. HE RECALLED AN ENG RPM OF8000, BUT DIDN'T RECALL IF HE HAD USED FEATHER BUTTON TO REDUCE RPM TO 3000 (AS DRCTD BY CHECKLIST). HE VERIFIED FUEL SWS WERE 'ON' & HE TRIED TO X-FEED FUEL (IN EVENT OF BLOCKAGE). X-FEEDING OF FUEL WAS NOT PART OF RESTART PROC. FLT MAN-UAL CAUTIONED ABT IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING PWR TO FLT IDLE, TO DECREASE FUEL FLOW TO ENG & MINIMIZE POSSIBLE OVERHEATING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.