Cessna 208B N102VE

Summary

On 1 June 2008 at about 14:30 local time, a Cessna 208B registered N102VE, operated by Skydive Greensburg, was involved in an accident near Greensburg, Indiana, United States. One person was 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

1 June 2008 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greensburg, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Greenburg Decatur County (I34)

Coordinates

39.3267, -85.5225

Aircraft

Cessna 208B

Registration

N102VE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Skydive Greensburg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greensburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08LA144

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power during the en route climb due to a compressor turbine failure as a result of blade creep. Also causal was the inadequate maintenance performed by the airplane's owner.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane, which was used for sky diving operations, was climbing through 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl) when he heard an explosion followed by a metal grinding noise coming from the engine section of the airplane. He felt the airplane vibrate, and smoke began to fill the cabin. He reported that the engine was not producing any power so he shut the fuel off and performed procedures to rid the cabin of smoke. He leveled the airplane at 5,000 feet msl and set the flaps to 20-degree so that the 14 skydivers could exit the airplane. He attempted a forced landing to runway 18 (3,433 feet by 40 feet, asphalt).The airplane was too high and fast during the approach so he executed a forced landing to a cornfield off the departure end of runway 18. When the airplane landed in the cornfield, the propeller and left wing impacted the terrain, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Inspection of the engine revealed that the compressor turbine (CT) blades failed as a result of blade creep. The engine manufacturer had issued Service Information Letters (SIL) concerning recommended borescope inspection procedures to inspect CT blades for blade creep and fatigue cracks. The airplane's owner reported that he was unaware of the SIL's, and did not perform the borescope inspections that were recommended by the engine manufacturer's SIL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.