Fairchild SA227-DC N850LS
11 June 1996 · Enid, Oklahoma, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 June 1996 at about 23:35 local time, a Fairchild SA227-DC registered N850LS, operated by Lone Star Airlines, was involved in an incident near Enid, Oklahoma, United States. 8 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:35
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Enid, Oklahoma, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227-DC
- Registration
- N850LS
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Lone Star Airlines
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Dallas
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96IA248
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Probable cause
failure of the accessory drive bearing, causing the accessory drive gear teeth to shear and disengage the fuel pump accessory drive shaft, resulting in a disabled fuel pump and subsequent fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane experienced an uncommanded shut down of the right engine during initial climb to altitude. An emergency was declared, and an uneventful single engine landing was made at the departure airport. Subsequent to the incident, metallic chips were found on the chip detector. The bearings of the accessory gear housing assembly (P/N 3103601-6) was missing all of the balls. Fragments of these ball bearings were found in the bottom of the engine case. Examination of the bearing races revealed pitting and scoring. According to the operator's diagnostics, the disintegration of the bearings allowed the gear shaft to drop down and contact the gears of the accessory drive idler gear assembly. Subsequently, the fuel pump drive gear was not driven, causing the engine to be starved of fuel. Inspection of the idler gear assembly revealed sheared gear teeth. Examination of the gearbox oiling system, revealed no evidence of failure or thermal distress prior to the initial bearing failure. The engine manufacturer had recently issued Service Bulletins addressing the installation of heavier duty gear assemblies in applicable engine installations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Fairchild SA227 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Dec 1995 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Bemidji, Minnesota, United States | Mesaba Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 1995 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Austin, Texas, United States | Conquest Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 1995 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Spokane, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jan 1997 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Bullhead City, Arizona, United States | FNG Aviation Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1997 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Merlin Express | No injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 1998 | Fairchild SA227-AC | Tyler, Texas, United States | Austin Express | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 1996 | Cessna A188B | Enid, Oklahoma, United States | Carson Flying Service, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 1996 | McDonnell Douglas MD-520N | Bethany, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1996 | Cessna 172N | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1996 | Bell 206B | Cushing, Oklahoma, United States | Corporate Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Mar 1996 | Bell B206-BIII | Chandler, Oklahoma, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 1996 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Pond Creek, Oklahoma, United States | Homestead Farms Flying Service | No injuries | - |