Flight History
On November 6, 2012, about 0745 central standard time, a Cessna 208B airplane, registration N793FE, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Wichita, Kansas. The airplane had departed Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) at approximately 0737:45 on an instrument flight rules cargo flight destined for Garden City Regional Airport. About 4.5 minutes after departure, the pilot reported a loss of engine power and initiated a left 180-degree turn back toward the departure airport. The pilot requested vectors to an alternate airstrip but noted the windshield was contaminated with oil, preventing visual identification. At 0744:57, the pilot transmitted his intention to land in a grass field. Radar contact was lost at 0745:15 about 2.2 miles south of ICT at an altitude of 1,600 feet mean sea level. A witness observed the airplane land in an agricultural field with the propeller not rotating; during the landing rollout, it struck a hedgerow at the northern edge of the field.
Pilot Information
The 52-year-old commercial pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land and instrument ratings, as well as a flight instructor certificate. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on April 2, 2012, with a limitation for corrective lenses. The pilot had been employed by Baron Aviation Services since September 2005 and reported over 15,000 total flight hours, with approximately 3,900 hours in single-engine aircraft and 11,000 hours in multi-engine aircraft. He had flown 361.3 hours in the past year, with 30.8 hours in the last 30 days, and had not flown in the 24 hours prior to the accident. He completed recurrent training for the Cessna 208 from August 20-22, 2012, and passed his most recent FAA Part 135 proficiency check on August 22, 2012.
Aircraft and Engine Details
The accident airplane, a 1991 Cessna 208B serial number 208B0291, was equipped for instrument flight rules and known icing conditions. It had a maximum takeoff weight of 8,750 pounds. The last phase inspection was completed on September 28, 2012, at 10,790.6 hours total airframe time, with no unresolved airworthiness issues. The engine was a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A, serial number PCE-17282, rated at 675 shaft horsepower, driving a three-bladed McCauley constant-speed propeller. The engine had accumulated 13,466.6 hours since new and 5,516.1 hours since its last overhaul on April 12, 2001. The compressor turbine blades had 7,880 hours since new.
Weather Conditions
At 0753, the automated surface observing system at ICT reported wind from 200 degrees magnetic at 5 knots, visibility 7 miles, few clouds at 6,500 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 and 20,000 feet, temperature 4°C, dew point 2°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane landed in a recently planted winter wheat field. Tire tracks were evident for about 518 feet before the airplane collided with a large tree in the hedgerow at the northern field boundary. The right side of the forward fuselage and cockpit struck the tree trunk. Both wings were partially separated. Engine oil was found on the airframe, primarily on the left side and on the cockpit windshield. The pilot-side storm window was open. Wing flaps were fully extended. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed for rudder and elevator circuits. The propeller was separated from the engine with all three blades in the feathered position. The engine remained attached by one mount, cabling, and tubing, with no evidence of in-flight fire or uncontained failure.
Engine Examination and Testing
A teardown examination of the engine revealed a failure of the gas generator due to a compressor turbine blade separation. Metallurgical analysis showed that the blade fracture resulted from high-cycle fatigue initiating at the trailing edge. The fatigue propagated along the blade chord-line to approximately mid-chord, then transitioned to tensile overload. A 0.060-inch section containing the fatigue initiation point was missing due to secondary impact, preventing determination of the root cause. However, further analysis found no material anomalies, defects, or hot corrosion. The engine had normal parameters recorded by the Aircraft Data Acquisition System Plus (ADAS+) until the sudden loss of power. No abnormal trends were identified.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt-force injuries to the head and torso. The pilot's lap belt was found secured; shoulder restraints did not appear to have been used. Toxicological tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and all drugs and medications.