N49WC
Registered owner: WEST COAST AIRCRAFT SHARES LLC, CA (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEST COAST CHARTERS, INC. (GSPA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
| WEST COAST CHARTERS, INC. (GSPA) | Operator | 2015-02-09 – 2015-02-09 | Operator named in NTSB report |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
ON MARCH 11TH 2021 IN AIRCRAFT N49WC OPERATING AS WEST COAST (WCC) 49, WE DEPARTED KSEZ FROM RUNWAY 21 ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. AFTER A ROUTINE DEPARTURE, WE RAN THE APPROPRIATE CLIMB CHECKLIST AND CONTACTED PHOENIX DEPARTURE. SHORTLY AFTER CONTACTING DEPARTURE, WE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL IN THE CABIN, THEN NOTICED VISIBLE SMOKE INSIDE THE CABIN. WE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH PHOENIX APPROACH. WE WERE STILL IN VMC, SO WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO KSEZ, TURNED OFF NONESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND THE BLEED AIR VALVES AND DUMPED THE CABIN PRESSURE TO HELP CLEAR THE SMOKE. WE THEN MADE A NORMAL LANDING ON RUNWAY 3. WE QUICKLY TAXIED TO THE RAMP AND EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, WE NOTICED OIL BOTH ON THE OUTSIDE THE LEFT (#1) ENGINE COWLING AND WITHIN THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING. SEDONA FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND USED A THERMAL TEMPERATURE READER TO INSPECT THE LEFT ENGINE AND DID NOT FIND ANY ABNORMAL READINGS. WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY VISIBLE FLAME OR FIRE WHILE IN FLIGHT OR ON THE GROUND.
WHILE CLIMBING TO OUR CRUZE ALTITUDE OF 26000 THE WHITE CABIN ALTITUDE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN SOUNDED WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 23500. THE CABIN ALTITUDE WAS 10200. WE LEVELED OFF AT 24000 FOR 3-4 MINUTES BUT THE CABIN ALTITUDE KEPT CLIMBING. WE STARTED A DESCENT AND WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 23500 THE RED CABIN ALT HIGH LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN SOUNDED. WE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO KTWF. WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 11000 THE CABIN ALT WAS 10000 AND DIFF PRESS WAS 1.5,
CREW REPORTED ON APPROACH INTO KRNO, AFTER LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE, THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT EXTEND, FOLLOWED BY THE LANDING GEAR 2 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. PILOT THEN SUCCESSFULLY LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR WITH THE LANDING GEAR HAND PUMP, SEEING THE DOWN AND LOCKED THREE GREEN. PILOT VERIFIED LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN VIA VISUAL CONFIRMATION FROM KRNO TOWER. AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY.
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE DESCENDING INTO AIRPORT AT FL160. AFTER INSPECTION BY THE DOM, THE SPAR WAS DETERMINED TO BE BENT ON BOTH LT & RT WINGS AT APPROX WS 214.00. THE UPPER WING SKINS & LE SKINS BENT. UNDERLYING STRUCTURES UNABLE TO BE EVALUATED. POSSIBLE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO RT FUSELAGE. SECOND LEVEL INSP IAW MM REQUIRED.
FLIGHT CREW REPORTED AILERON CONTROLS BINDING AND THEN A NOTICEABLE "CLUNK" WHILE TURNING THE AIRPLANE LT OR RT. AFTER THE "CLUNK" THE CONTROLS WOULD BE FREE UNTIL RETURNING THE CONTROL YOKE BACK TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. AUTO PILOT SYS WAS NOT ENGAGED WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING. CHANGING THE AILERON AUTO PILOT SERVO FIXED THE PROBLEM.
DURING CRUISE THE PILOT REPORTED THE LEFT STARTER GENERATOR WOULD DROP OFF LINE. AFTER RESETING IT WOULD DROP OF LINE AGAIN AFTER 15 MINUTES. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING BY TECHNICIANS ON THE GROUND THE THE LEFT ENGINE START SEQUENCE WAS ATTEMPTED BUT CANCELLED DO TO EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND THE FAILURE OF THE STARTER GENERATOR TO SPOOL UP THE ENGINE TO THE PROPER RPM. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE LEFT STARTER GENERATOR. THE FAILED STARTER GENERATOR ONLY HAD 126.1 HOURS SINCE LAST OVERHAUL. AN OVERHAULED STARTER WAS INSTALLED AND A SATISFACTORY OPERATIONAL CHECK PERFORMED.