Rockwell AERO COMMANDER 500 N8498C

Summary

On 12 March 2005 at about 13:20 local time, a Rockwell AERO COMMANDER 500 registered N8498C was involved in an accident near San Juan, United States. 4 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

12 March 2005 at 13:20

Classification

Accident

Location

San Juan, United States

Nearest airport

Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci (TJIG)

Coordinates

18.4567, -66.1078

Aircraft

Rockwell AERO COMMANDER 500

Registration

N8498C

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Juan → Isla De Culebra

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA05LA079

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot to follow the emergency checklist and his inadvertent operation of the airplane with known discrepancies resulting in landing overrun and on-ground collision with a ditch during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Maintenance had been performed to the left main landing gear actuator and flexible hoses that connect to it earlier in the week. The mechanic who performed the work did not complete retraction tests of the landing gear and did not approve the airplane for return to service. The pilot stated that braking action was normal during taxiing, but after takeoff, at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL), the main gear would not retract and he noticed the hydraulic pressure gauge indicating 0 pressure. He selected gear down, observed three green lights, used the hydraulic emergency hand pump, and turned back to the airport. While operating the hydraulic emergency hand pump, he noticed "some pressure" up to 800 psi. While returning to the airport he moved the emergency hand pump selector valve to "brake only" to be able to stop the airplane but reported he did not get any pressure when using the emergency hydraulic pump. On final approach he slowed the airplane to approximately 85 miles per hour, touched down, and started pumping the hydraulic emergency hand pump for the brakes, with no success. Unable to stop the airplane, it collided with a ditch beyond the departure end of the runway. Following recovery of the airplane, the emergency hand pump selector valve was not found in the "brakes only" position. Operation of the hydraulic emergency hand pump with the selector set to "brakes only" revealed hydraulic pressure was produced. NTSB review of the airplane's Maintenance Manual reveals that the emergency hand pump selector valve, located between the pilot and co-pilot seats, provides a means of directing the flow of hand pumped pressure to either the brake system or the normal hydraulic system. With the selector valve in "brakes only" position, only the wheel brake system and nose steering cylinder received hand pump pressure which will not be indicated on the hydraulic pressure gauge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.