Swearingen SA-226T N84GA

Summary

On 21 July 2004 at about 19:45 local time, a Swearingen SA-226T registered N84GA, operated by Robert A. Sandberg, was involved in an accident near Rifle, Colorado, United States. 6 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

21 July 2004 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Rifle, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Rifle-Garfield County Regional (RIL)

Coordinates

39.5264, -107.7269

Aircraft

Swearingen SA-226T

Registration

N84GA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Robert A. Sandberg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rifle → Lafayette

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04LA112

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the aborted takeoff resulting in the airplane departing the runway and striking a runway light and two taxiway signs. Factors contributing to the accident were the broken sensor wire to the left engine's Continuous Alcohol Water Injection System, the misrigged power levers, the runway light ,and the signs.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that because of the high density altitude, he wanted to do a CAWI (Continuous Alcohol Water Injection) takeoff. At the end of the runway, the pilot brought up the engine power. The pilot said that the right engine came up to 100 percent torque immediately, but the left engine hesitated at 75 percent torque. The pilot said he gave the left engine more power lever and the torque came up to 85 to 90 percent. The pilot began his takeoff roll. At approximately 70 knots, the left engine "surged down" to 70 to 75 percent torque, and the airplane went sharply left of runway centerline. The pilot said he shouted "abort takeoff" and got the airplane aligned with the runway again. The pilot said he told the copilot to turn off the CAWI pumps. The airplane had slowed to 40 knots. The pilot said as he "initiated the power levers to idle and over the gates into the BETA range, the airplane again surged sharply to the left. The pilot said that he and the copilot applied "hard right rudder" to straighten the airplane. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, striking two taxiway signs and a light, and causing substantial damage to the airplane's pressure vessel, the nose gear doors, and the left propeller. A post-accident examination of the left engine showed a sensor wire to the CAWI system was broken. Additionally, it was discovered that the right engine was misrigged causing a delay when the engine was placed in reverse thrust.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.