Narrative:
An IAI 1124 Westwind aircraft was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oklahoma City-Sundance Airpark, Oklahoma. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.
The two commercial pilots were conducting a personal, cross-country flight. As the airplane approached the approach end of the landing runway, it began to climb, rolled left, became inverted, and then impacted terrain.
The left thrust reverser (T/R) was found open and unlatched at the accident site. An asymmetric deployment of the left T/R would have resulted in a left roll/yaw. The lack of an airworthy and operable cockpit voice recorder, which was required for the flight, precluded identifying which pilot was performing pilot flying duties, as well as other crew actions and background noises, that would have facilitated the investigation.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it was not equipped, nor was required to be equipped, with a nose landing gear ground contact switch intended to preclude inflight operation of the thrust reverser.
Further, electrical testing of the T/R left and right stow microswitches within the cockpit throttle quadrant revealed that the left stow microswitch did not operate within design specifications. Disassembly of the left and right stow microswitches revealed evidence of arc wear due to aging. Based on this information, it is likely that the airplanes lack of an NLG ground contact switch and the age-related failure of the stow microswitches resulted in an asymmetric T/R deployment while on approach and a subsequent loss of airplane control. Also, there were additional T/R system components that were found to unairworthy that would have affected the control of the T/R system.
Cause:
The airplanes unairworthy thrust reverser (T/R) system due to inadequate maintenance that resulted in an asymmetric T/R deployment during an approach to the airport and the subsequent loss of airplane control.
Engine reverse issue
Loss of control
KHSD 182005Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/M02 A3026 RMK A01
20:25 UTC / 15:25 local time:
KHSD 182025Z AUTO 18007KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3025 RMK A01
20:45 UTC / 15:45 local time:
KHSD 182045Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3025 RMK A01
accident date: 18-03-2019
type: IAI 1124 Westwind
registration: N4MH
accident date: 18-03-2019
type: IAI 1124 Westwind
registration: N4MH
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 18 March 2019 |
| Time: | 15:37 |
| Type: |  IAI 1124 Westwind |
| Operator: | Sundance Airport FBO LLC |
| Registration: | N4MH |
| MSN: | 232 |
| First flight: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11030 |
| Engines: | 2 Garrett TFE731-3D-1G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Oklahoma City-Sundance Airport, OK (HSD) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL (ECP/KECP), United States of America |
| Oklahoma City-Sundance Airpark, OK (HSD/KHSD), United States of America |
An IAI 1124 Westwind aircraft was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oklahoma City-Sundance Airpark, Oklahoma. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.
The two commercial pilots were conducting a personal, cross-country flight. As the airplane approached the approach end of the landing runway, it began to climb, rolled left, became inverted, and then impacted terrain.
The left thrust reverser (T/R) was found open and unlatched at the accident site. An asymmetric deployment of the left T/R would have resulted in a left roll/yaw. The lack of an airworthy and operable cockpit voice recorder, which was required for the flight, precluded identifying which pilot was performing pilot flying duties, as well as other crew actions and background noises, that would have facilitated the investigation.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it was not equipped, nor was required to be equipped, with a nose landing gear ground contact switch intended to preclude inflight operation of the thrust reverser.
Further, electrical testing of the T/R left and right stow microswitches within the cockpit throttle quadrant revealed that the left stow microswitch did not operate within design specifications. Disassembly of the left and right stow microswitches revealed evidence of arc wear due to aging. Based on this information, it is likely that the airplanes lack of an NLG ground contact switch and the age-related failure of the stow microswitches resulted in an asymmetric T/R deployment while on approach and a subsequent loss of airplane control. Also, there were additional T/R system components that were found to unairworthy that would have affected the control of the T/R system.
Probable Cause:
Cause:
The airplanes unairworthy thrust reverser (T/R) system due to inadequate maintenance that resulted in an asymmetric T/R deployment during an approach to the airport and the subsequent loss of airplane control.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Engine reverse issue
Loss of control
Sources:
» kxii.comMETAR Weather report:
20:05 UTC / 15:05 local time:KHSD 182005Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/M02 A3026 RMK A01
20:25 UTC / 15:25 local time:
KHSD 182025Z AUTO 18007KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3025 RMK A01
20:45 UTC / 15:45 local time:
KHSD 182045Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3025 RMK A01
Photos
accident date: 18-03-2019
type: IAI 1124 Westwind
registration: N4MH
accident date: 18-03-2019
type: IAI 1124 Westwind
registration: N4MH
Video, social media
A man has died and a woman is in critical condition after a plane crashed at Sundance Airport in Yukon, Oklahoma, not far from Oklahoma City https://t.co/JDrlunvTrz pic.twitter.com/MUZZm6iLrh
WVTM 13 (@WVTM13) 18 mars 2019
SUNDANCE PLANE CRASH: Officials confirm two people died in a twin-engine jet while trying to land at Sundance Airpark in Oklahoma City. @NTSB now investigating.@koconews | ??: @BrianDicksonOKC pic.twitter.com/qLByW2oFQU
Christine Stanwood (@KOCOChristine) 18 mars 2019
NTSB investigating crash Monday of an Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind 24, Oklahoma City, OK.
NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) 19 mars 2019
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL to Oklahoma City-Sundance Airpark, OK as the crow flies is 1246 km (779 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL to Oklahoma City-Sundance Airpark, OK as the crow flies is 1246 km (779 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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