Convair 580 N161FL
4 December 2004 · McAllen, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 December 2004 at about 20:41 local time, a Convair 580 registered N161FL was involved in an accident near McAllen, Texas, United States. 3 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:41
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McAllen, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- McAllen Miller International (MFE)
- Coordinates
- 26.1758, -98.2386
- Aircraft
- Convair 580
- Registration
- N161FL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Flight Test
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- McAllen → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW05LA029
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The failure to activate the hydraulic pump which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The 9,500-hour ATP-rated pilot was forced to secure the left engine during a maintenance test flight following the malfunction of the left propeller. The crew executed single-engine instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 13. During short final, the crew noticed that the alternator light was illuminated and the hydraulic pressure gauge indicated "0" pressure. The landing gear was already extended and the flaps were partially extended, so the crew elected to continue the approach to a full-stop landing. Upon landing, the pilot immediately turned on the direct current (DC) hydraulic pump. The pilot added that he then realized that he was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane due to the lack of nose wheel steering and the ineffective wheel brakes. As a result, the airplane continued to veer to the right and exited the runway. The airplane collided with the airport perimeter fence and continued down into a drainage ditch. The examination of the aircraft revealed that the hydraulic pump switch did not appear as if it had been turned on.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Convair 580 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1989 | Convair 580 | Buena Vista, Colorado, United States | Aspen Airways | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1988 | Convair 580 | Durango, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 1986 | Convair 580 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Aspen Airway, Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 1983 | Convair 580 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | Republic Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 1983 | Convair 580-11-A | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | Republic Airlines, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Nov 1981 | Convair 580 | Longview, Texas, United States | Metro Airlines | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 2004 | Lockheed 1329-23E | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2004 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Dalhart, Texas, United States | Kenneth Green | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2004 | Bell 407 | Pyote, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Aug 2004 | Piper PA-60-601P | Lakeway, Texas, United States | Curtis Treadwell | Fatal | 6 |
| 9 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Rachel, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Dec 2004 | Mooney M20F | Fabens, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |