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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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December 18, 1987 · Swearingen SA-226 · N23AZ

Chantilly, VA

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 18, 1987
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (1 serious injury, 1 minor injury), 6 uninjured
Location
Chantilly, VA
Aircraft
Swearingen SA-226
Tail Number
N23AZ
Operator
Avair
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
BFO88FA010

The aircraft had descended through a cloud layer enroute for the scheduled landing at IAD and according to the crew had picked up some trace rime ice on its wing surfaces. Although pitot and SAS (stall avoidance system) heat were used, the captain elected not to use engine inlet anti-ice. Just inside the outer marker, the left engine lost power followed shortly by the right engine. The captain was able to set the aircraft down in an open field where the gear collapsed during the landing roll. The engines were successfully run-up at the Garrett facility. The flight manual contains a warning and a note stating that engine heat and continuous ignition must be used after leaving icing conditions until the pilot is confident that any significant residual ice will not be ingested into the engines. Ice was found lying beneath the right wing which matched the curvature of the leading edge of the wing. A round conical shaped piece of ice was found along the wreckage path which matched the nose of the propeller spinner.

Full Narrative

THE ACFT HAD DESCENDED THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER ENROUTE FOR THE SCHEDULED LNDG AT IAD AND ACCORDING TO THE CREW HAD PICKED UP SOME TRACE RIME ICE ON ITS WING SURFACES. ALTHOUGH PITOT AND SAS (STALL AVOIDANCE SYSTEM) HEAT WERE USED THE CAPTAIN ELECTED NOT TO USE ENGINE INLET ANTI-ICE. JUST INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE CAPTAIN WAS ABLE TO SET THE ACFT DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE ENGINES WERE SUCCESSFULLY RUN-UP AT THE GARRETT FACILITY. THE FLT MANUAL CONTAINS A WARNING AND A NOTE STATING THAT ENGINE HEAT AND CONTINUOUS IGNITION MUST BE USED AFTER LEAVING ICING CONDITIONS UNTIL THE PLT IS CONFIDENT THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT RESIDUAL ICE WILL NOT BE INJESTED INTO THE ENGINES. ICE WAS FOUND LYING BENEATH THE RT WING WHICH MATCHED THE CURVATURE OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING. A ROUND CONICAL SHAPED PIECE OF ICE WAS FOUND ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH WHICH MATCHED THE NOSE OF THE PROPELLER SPINNER.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time19:36 EST
Nearest AirportWashington/Dulles Intl (4nm S)
Runway1R
Runway Length11500 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftSwearingen SA-226
Tail NumberN23AZ
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAvair
Operating RulePart 135
Engines2
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsGarrett · TPE331-I0UA-5 · Turboprop · 840
Seats19

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (1 serious injury, 1 minor injury), 6 uninjured
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor1
Uninjured6
Total8
Crew 1Age 31 · First Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDark Night
Wind330° @ 8 kt
Visibility20 sm
CeilingOvercast 4200 ft
Temperature / Dew Point36 C / 19 C
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time00:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data