xjcaptain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2001
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Anybody hear anything wlse about this incident? Sounds like they got just a BIT too slow? Possibly climbing in VS in icing?
NTSB Identification: LAX06IA076
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 121: Air Carrier operation of American Eagle Airlines, Inc.
Incident occurred Monday, January 02, 2006 in Santa Maria, CA
Aircraft: Saab-Scania AB (Saab) SF340B+, registration: N390AE
Injuries: 28 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On January 2, 2006, at 1439 Pacific standard time, a Saab-Scania AB (SAAB) SF340B+, N390AE, operated by American Eagle Airlines, Inc., as flight 3008, encountered icing conditions during the en route climb, about 11,500 feet mean sea level (msl), and departed controlled flight, descending to an altitude of about 6,500 feet msl. The pilots recovered control of the airplane and continued to their scheduled destination of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles California, where they landed at 1540 without further incident. The 2 flight crewmembers, 1 flight attendant, and 25 passengers were not injured. While there does not appear to be any damage at this writing, an assessment of the structure is on-going. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight that was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The flight originated from San Luis County Regional Airport (SBP), San Luis Obispo, California, at 1414.
A review of the American Eagle Airlines, Inc., aircraft flight log disclosed that the accident flight was scheduled to be the flight crew's fifth trip of the day, and their second trip in the accident airplane. The 1 hour 26 minute accident flight was scheduled to depart from SBP at 1408, and terminate in LAX at 1513.
Prior to departure, the flight crew reviewed the dispatch information during the approximate 20-minute duration that the airplane was at the gate. The wind conditions at SBP were reported to be gusting to 27 knots. The captain opted to fly the initial departure, with the intention of transferring flight control authority to the first officer at the airplane's acceleration altitude. After a normal liftoff and initial climb, the first officer took the controls about 2,500 feet msl with the airplane's autopilot engaged. As the airplane climbed through 11,000 feet msl the captain noted light rime ice accumulating on the windshield wiper blades and about 1/2-inch-wide area of ice on the left wing.
The captain began to reach up to activate the manual deice boot system and the airplane vibrated. The airplane encountered ice and the windscreen immediately turned white. The clacker and stick-shaker activated and the captained took control of the airplane. The autopilot disengaged and the airplane began to bank to the left in a nose low attitude. The airplane began a rapid decent and the captain recovered at an altitude of about 6,500 feet msl.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators reviewed the airplane's maintenance records and logbooks. The day prior to incident a flight crew reported that during an en route deice boot check, the timer light illuminated. The deicer timer failure light was later deferred in accordance with the operator's minimum equipment list (MEL). The deferral procedures required a placard to be placed adjacent to the deicer timer switch and the auto cycling switch to remain in the "off" position. An MEL placard (sticker) was next to the deice system controls in the cockpit.
Initial examinations revealed the airplane's deice systems were operational; however, the deicer timer failure light illuminated. The investigation is ongoing.
