Castle Aviation

Swearingen SA226AT Merlin IV

On December 10, 2021, about 2330 eastern standard time, a Swearingen SA-226AT, N54GP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Bedford, New Hampshire. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 ondemand cargo flight. According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane was on the instrument landing system approach to runway 6 at Manchester Boston Regional Airport (MHT), Manchester, New Hampshire. During the approach, the pilot reported an engine failure at 2330:42 but did not specify which engine. Radio and radar contact were lost at 2330:51, when the airplane was about 1/4 mile from the runway. The wreckage was located on a river sand jetty, oriented north, and a postcrash fire consumed the cockpit, cabin, and both wings. No debris path was observed. A crater about 6 ft long, 3 ft wide, and 2 ft deep was observed at the beginning of the sand jetty. The left aileron was recovered in the water near the crater. The empennage was located just beyond the crater. The empennage remained intact, with the elevator and rudder attached and undamaged except for the right elevator tip. The right wingtip was located near the empennage and an outboard left-wing section was located 60 ft left of the main wreckage. Three landing gear were located near the main wreckage and the radome was located at the end of the sand jetty, in water. Elevator control continuity was confirmed from the elevator to the cockpit area. Rudder control continuity was confirmed from the rudder to the cabin area. No aileron cables were identified. The left engine was located in the main wreckage. The left propeller had separated and was partially embedded in mud to the left of the left engine. All three blades remained attached to the hub and did not exhibit rotational damage. The right engine was located forward and left of the main wreckage. The right propeller remained attached to the right engine and all three propeller blade roots remained attached to the hub and were charred. The right propeller blades appeared to be at or near the feathered position. Both engines and propellers were retained for further examination. A copy of residential security camera video which recorded a portion of the airplane’s approach was obtained for further examination.

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

The cargo flight was departing on its fourth flight leg of a five-leg flight in night instrument conditions, which included a surface observation of light snow and a broken ceiling at 500 feet above ground level (agl). One pilot who departed just prior to the accident flight indicated that moderate snow was falling and that he entered the clouds about 200 feet agl. The accident airplane's wings and tail were de-iced prior to departure. Radar track data indicated the accident flight was about 45 seconds in duration. An aircraft performance radar study indicated that the airplane reached an altitude of about 1,130 feet mean sea level (msl), or about 400 feet above ground level, about 114 knots with a left bank angle of about 29 degrees. The airplane descended and impacted the terrain at an airspeed of about 155 knots, a pitch angle of -16 degrees, a left roll angle of 22 degrees, and a descent rate of 4,600 feet per minute. The study indicated that the engine power produced by the airplane approximately matched the engine power values represented in the pilot's operating handbook. The study indicated that the required elevator deflections were within the available elevator deflection range, and that the center-of-gravity (CG) position did not adversely affect the controllability of the airplane. The study indicated that the load factor vectors, the forces felt by the pilot, could have produced the illusion of a climb, even when the airplane was in a descent. The inspection of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

The pilot departed on a night multiple-leg flight series with full tanks. On approach for the second landing, the green landing gear lights extinguished. The pilot discovered that if the landing gear was extended the circuit breaker would stay in and if the landing gear was retracted the circuit breaker would pop. The circuit breaker controlled the landing gear lights, the engine oil pressure, and both fuel quantity gauges. The pilot continued on four additional flights in that condition. The fourth flight terminated 5 miles from the runway with a double power loss. Examination revealed the fuel tanks were empty. The pilot had flown the airplane 4.3 hours including 6 takeoffs, one missed approach, and a 20 minute ground run prior to departure with both engines running on the final flight.