Cessna 550 N75WL

Summary

On 5 December 2016 at about 17:23 local time, a Cessna 550 registered N75WL, operated by D C Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Port Aransas, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 December 2016 at 17:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Aransas, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Corpus Christi Intl (CRP)

Coordinates

27.8119, -97.0889

Aircraft

Cessna 550

Registration

N75WL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

2

Operator

D C Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Aransas → Fort Worth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA136

Nobody was injured.

An in-flight collision with multiple birds, which resulted in separation of the right engine's fan rotor and subsequent total loss of power of the right engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The turbofan-powered airplane struck birds after takeoff, resulting in a total loss of power on the right engine. The commercial pilot diverted to another airport, where he landed the airplane uneventfully. Examination of the airplane revealed several locations with bird remains, including within the right engine's fan duct. Examination of the right engine showed that the fan and booster stages were missing from the engine; they were found as a unit near the departure airport. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing from the fan and booster stages. DNA analysis of the bird remains indicated that they were from redhead ducks, which can weigh between 1.38 and 3.31 lbs each. Damage on two fan blades that were approximately opposite each other indicated that at least two birds struck the fan. Examination of the engine components revealed that all damage was consistent with overload failures resulting from the bird strikes. The engine was certified to withstand the impact of a single 4-lb bird; thus, the ingestion of multiple ducks likely exceeded the engine certification requirements. However, the subsequent engine failure was contained because the fan case and inlet were not penetrated, as designed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.