N239AL
Registered owner: ALPINE AVIATION INC, UT (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPINE AVIATION, INC. (TIMA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
I WAS ON THE LARKS3 ARRIVAL IN LIGHT PRECIPITATION DESCENDING OUT OF 16,000 FEET. AIRSPEED WAS AT 190 KNOTS AND AS I WAS PASSING 15,500 FEET, HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SAW A BRIGHT FLASH OFF THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT MY RIGHT HAND WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. IN IMC IN ICING CONDITIONS AND I ELECTED TO KEEP MY WINDSHIELD HEAT ON AND SLOW THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO 140 KNOTS. I THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED TO DENVER AS IT WAS 30 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY WITH MAINTENANCE AND FAMILIARITY. THE LITTLE I SAW OF THE BRIGHT FLASH SEEMED TO BE SAINT ELMOâS FIRE. NO LIGHTENING OR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS PRESENT.
DEPARTED DENVER. EVERY INDIRECTION ON TAKEOFF & CLIMB WAS NORMAL UNTIL 10 MINUTES INTO CRUISE AT 16,000FT, WHEN TORQUE GAUGE BECAME ERRATIC, PILOT WATCHED GAUGE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE & TAPPED GAUGE A FEW TIMES TO CHECK IF IT WAS GETTING STUCK. THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON FOR LT ENGINE. PRESSURE ON ENGINE WAS 50PSI. DECIDED TO RETURN TO DIA , ADVICED ATC NEEDED TO RETURN BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ENTIRE WAY BACK, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE OIL PRESSURE DOWN TO BELOW REDLINE ENGINE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY & FELT PERFECTLY NORMAL WITH NO INDICATIONS THAT WOULD SUGGEST A FAILURE. ELECTED TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUN. ONCE SAFELY ON THE GROUND, SHUTDOWN ENG AND TAXIED TO RAMP.
PON RUN UP A THE 16L DEICE PAD PILOT HAD 4 AIRCRAFT AHEAD OF HIM SO HE WAITED TO TURN THE WINDSHIELD HEAT ON. WHEN LANDING TRAFFIC STOPPED AND HE WAS NUMBER 3 TO GO HE FLIPPED ON THE WINDSHIELD HEAT. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE ARC AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE SO HE TURNED OFF THE HEAT IMMEDIATELY. HE THEN CALLED TOWER TO REQUEST A TAXI TO THE DEICE PAD TO ASSES THE SITUATION. THE FIRE WAS OUT SO HE CALLED GROUND TO REQUEST TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. HE ALERTED MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT OF THE FIRE. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTIONS THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD HEAT WAS DEFERRED AS AN MEL.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AFTER DEPARTURE. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND ANNUNCIATOR WIRE SHORTED TO STRUCTURE PREVENTING VISUAL INDICATION TO PILOT THAT THE GENERATORS WERE OFFLINE.
LT MLG DID NOT RETRACT AFTER TAKEOFF. PILOT FLEW AC TO HOME BASE WITH GEAR DOWN. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT FLUID WAS PASSING THE PISTON INTERNALLY.
DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE BLEED AIR SYSTEM, THE CHECK VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE DUE TO PARTS MISSING MOST LIKELY DUE TO AGE. THE CHECK VALVES WERE REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE CHECK VALVES. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE BLEED AIR SYSTEM CHECK VALVES DURING DETAILED INSPECTIONS TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER MALFUNCTIONS.
DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE SURFACE DEICE BOOT ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, IT WAS DETERMINED THE SUPPLY LINE WAS NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE PRESSURE TO PROPERLY INFLATE THE DEICER. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE SYSTEM PRESSURE ADJUSTED. THE LINE HAD CHAFED DUE TO LACK OF PROPER SUPPORT FROM CLAMPS AND COULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM CHAFE SLEEVING OR THE LIKE.
WHEEL HALF FOUND CRACKED DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. (X)
DIODE 70 H10 A - 4 EACH IN A/C ELEC BUSS SYS. 2 EACH LEFT, 2 EACH RIGHT WHICH CONTROL ANNUNCIATOR PANEL AND SOME ENGINES PLUS LANDING GEAR. FOUND 2 EACH DIODES SHORTED OUT ON RIGHT SIDE, NO SHORTS FOUND IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. (X)
STRAPS WORN WHERE THEY ATTACH TO THE HORIZONTAL SPRINGS. (X)
STRAPS WORN WHERE THEY ATTACH TO HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SPRINGS. (X)
SPRINGS TO HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WORN AT BOTH ENDS WHERE THE SPRINGS ATTACH TO THE STRAPS. (X)