Aero Commander 685 N74CP

Summary

On 15 June 2013 at about 14:47 local time, a Aero Commander 685 registered N74CP, operated by Daniel Nghiem, was involved in an accident near Victoria, Texas, United States. 6 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2013 at 14:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Victoria, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Victoria Regional (KVCT)

Coordinates

28.8444, -96.9047

Aircraft

Aero Commander 685

Registration

N74CP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Daniel Nghiem

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Victoria Region → Victoria Region

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13FA352

3 people were seriously injured.

Maintenance personnel's failure to secure the left engine idler pin during overhaul, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure and subsequent forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two days before the accident, both engines lost power after takeoff. The pilot returned to the airport and landed the airplane uneventfully. Maintenance personnel were unable to determine the cause of the engines' power loss. Both engine wastegates were removed and bench tested, and they operated normally. Ground, high-speed taxi, and flight tests were conducted with no discrepancies noted. Earlier on the day of the accident, the airplane had been flown for an uneventful 45-minute flight. However, during takeoff for the accident flight, both engines lost power, and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. Disassembly of the left engine revealed that the idler pin was unsecured and that no nuts were present on either of the two bolt studs. The bolt studs were worn and stripped of threads near the base, consistent with being worn by the free movement of the idler pin. The engine casting where the idler pin was installed was fractured. The crankshaft, camshaft, starter drive, and starter adapter gear teeth were stripped, and metal fragments were noted in the oil screen and sump. The right engine was functionally tested and operated satisfactorily at all power settings. Based on the evidence found during the left engine examinations, it is likely that a catastrophic left engine failure occurred during the accident flight due to an unsecured idler pin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.