British BA-3100/3201 N926AE

Summary

On 6 June 1996 at about 12:58 local time, a British BA-3100/3201 registered N926AE, operated by Kenneth A. Denyer, was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California, United States. 2 people were 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

6 June 1996 at 12:58

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mc Chesney Field (SBP)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

British BA-3100/3201

Registration

N926AE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Kenneth A. Denyer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Kingman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96FA228

Nobody was injured.

The flight crew's loss of directional control resulting from an attempted takeoff with the left propeller on the start lock. Factors in the accident were: the lack of cockpit caution/warning system/lights available to verify that the propellers are out of the start locks; and the captain's location in the right seat without access to the nosewheel steering tiller.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The first officer, who was 6 months past due for a proficiency check in the aircraft, was in the left seat for the ferry flight and applied power on takeoff. At 40 knots he transitioned from tiller to rudder steering while the captain was setting takeoff power. Moments later the crew felt the aircraft jerk to the left. The captain took the controls and brought both power levers back to flight idle and then into reverse. The captain attempted to control the aircraft but did not have access to the tiller from his position in the aircraft. Full application of rudder and differential braking could not bring the aircraft under control as it veered off the left side of the runway, then back to the right edge. Following the accident, the nose wheel steering, brakes, and propellers were functionally tested in accordance with the aircraft maintenance manuals, with no discrepancies noted. The FDR showed that the airspeed peaked at 58 knots. The rudder effectiveness increases incrementally from 40 knots IAS to full authority at 70 knots. A CVR tape sound spectrum analysis revealed that the left engine was in the start lock position during the takeoff. Normal procedure after engine start is to bring the props into reverse momentarily to bring them out of the start locks. There is no cockpit indicator for the position of the propellers relative to the start locks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.