Casa 212 N355CA

Summary

On 7 June 1992 at about 18:34 local time, a Casa 212 registered N355CA, operated by Executive Air Charter, Inc., was involved in an accident near Mayaguez. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 1992 at 18:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Mayaguez

Nearest airport

Eugenuio Maria de Hosto

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Casa 212

Registration

N355CA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Executive Air Charter, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Juan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA92MA131

5 people died.

THE FAILURE OF THE BETA BLOCKING DEVICE FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S), AND THE SECOND-PILOT'S INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF THE POWER LEVER, OR LEVERS, AFT OF THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION AND INTO THE BETA RANGE, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ON APCH 3/4 MI SW OF THE ARPT. A WITNESS HEARD SOUND HE ASSOCIATED WITH PROPS GOING INTO REVERSE, THEN OBSERVED AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM CLOUDS IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. CVR TAPE REVEALED SOUND OF AN ABRUPT CHANGE IN FREQ & AMPLITUDE 10 SECS PRIOR TO IMPACT. EXAM OF THE LEFT ENG BETA INDICATOR LAMP REVEALED HEAVY OXIDE DEPOSIT & STRETCHED COILS INDICATIVE OF THE LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED AT IMPACT; RIGHT ENG BETA LAMP WAS DESTROYED. POWER LEVERS AND (BETA MODE) TRIGGER LOCKS OPERATED NORMALLY; TRIGGER RETURN SPRINGS INTACT. FLIGHT IDLE STOPS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE WEAR OR DEFORMATION. THE POWER LEVER (BETA) BLOCKING DEVICE LOCKOUT SOLENOID WAS TESTED ELECTRICALLY AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE RIGGING OF THE BETA LOCKOUT DEVICE COULD NOT BE CHECKED DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THE OPERATOR CONDUCTED A FUNCT TEST OF THE ELECTRICAL OR BACKUP BETA BLOCKING DEVICES ON THE REMAINING 8 CASA 212 AIRPLANES; 3 WERE FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE. NEITHER THE MFGR NOR OPERATOR HAD AN INSPECTION OR FUNCT TEST REQUIREMENT FOR THE BLOCKING DEVICES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.