History of Flight
On October 4, 2014, at 1343 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International 690B airplane (N700PQ) departed the runway surface and impacted medium-sized boulders, coming to rest in a drainage area at Nevada County Air Park (GOO), Grass Valley, California. The airplane was registered to Rogers Helicopters, Inc. and operated under an exclusive use contract to the United States Forest Service (USFS) as a public aircraft. The pilot and two USFS passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage undercarriage. The local area flight departed GOO at 0953 in support of the King Fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed.
The flight was designated as an Air Attack flight for the King Fire; a pilot and two Air Attack Group Supervisors (ATGS) were onboard. The mission flight was uneventful, and after transition with another crew and aircraft, the accident airplane returned to base. Upon landing, the pilot reported that the airplane floated and landed slightly long. He reduced the power setting to flight idle, and then moved the thrust levers to beta (reverse). On the landing rollout, the pilot adjusted levers for less reverse thrust and indicated that he would not be able to make his normal exit turnoff. He applied full reverse again; the airplane made a violent swerve to the left and departed the runway. The pilot applied right rudder and brake to return the airplane to the runway; however, the airplane continued off the runway surface into the infield where it impacted several medium-sized boulders and came to rest upright in a drainage area.
Personnel Information
The 73-year-old pilot held an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He was issued a class 2 medical certificate on April 13, 2014, with the limitation that he must have available glasses for near vision. His last flight review was conducted on May 20, 2014. The pilot reported his total flight time as 26,520 hours with 550 hours in the accident make and model.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Rockwell International 690B, N700PQ, manufactured in 1977. It was powered by two Garrett TPE-331-5-251 turbo prop engines equipped with Hartzell propellers. According to the operator, the airplane was maintained under an Approved Inspection Program (AAIP). The last inspection was signed off on October 3, 2014, with an airframe total time of 8,625.1 hours. Both engines were manufactured in 1977. Engine 1 (serial number P-06769) had a recorded total time of 8,338.6 hours, with 1,050.4 hours since the last inspection and 2,932.8 hours since overhaul. Engine 2 (serial number P-06923) had a total time of 8,338.4 hours, with 1,050.4 hours since the last inspection and 292.8 hours since overhaul.
Airport Information
The Airport Facility Directory for GOO indicated that runway 07 was 4,351 feet long by 75 feet wide, with an asphalt surface. The airport elevation was 3,154 feet.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather at 1340 for GOO indicated clear conditions with visibility 10 miles; temperature 84 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury; relative humidity 15 percent; wind from the west-southwest at 08 knots; and a density altitude calculated as 5,269 feet.
Test and Research
The airplane was inspected with structural damage identified to the undercarriage. According to a Honeywell representative, there should have been no reasons that reverse could not have been selected multiple times, unless the governor was not adjusted properly. The USFS representative reported that the governor settings were normal; however, they found a loose fuel control rod end for the left engine. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.