DEN92FA035

1992-02-13 · GLENWOOD SPRING, Colorado, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

N26JB Swearingen SA-26AT Serious

Probable cause & findings

MALFUNCTION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL CONTROL THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FLAME OUT, AND DELAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE COMPRESSOR SHROUD. FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED, THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT OF THE AIR AMBULANCE FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER AFTER REPORTING 'A BIT OF A PROBLEM' WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT, BUT AFTER RECEIVING ITS LATEST WEATHER REPORT, ELECTED TO RETURN TO BASE. THE AIRPLANE MADE A LEFT TURN, REENTERED IMC, AND IMPACTED A MOUNTAINSIDE ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 092 DEGREES. THE HEADING TO THE AIRPORT OF INTENDED LANDING WAS 272 DEGREES. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A SNOW STORM AT NIGHT. ALL FIVE OCCUPANTS SURVIVED AND WERE RESCUED THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. THICK GREASE ON THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL CONTROL CAM SHAFT PREVENTED A SPRING FROM RETURNING THE 3D CAM TO A LOWER ALTITUDE POSITION. THE CAM WAS FOUND STRUCK ON THE SHAFT AT A POSITION EQUATING TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 15,000 FEET. THE FUEL FLOW SCHEDULE FOR FLIGHT IDLE WAS BELOW SPECIFICATIONS. IN ADDITION, SHROUD MATERIAL WAS FOUND DELAMINATED FROM THE LEFT ENGINE SECOND STAGE COMPRESSOR HOUSING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_DEN92FA035.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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