USAC AIRWAYS 693, LLC

Operated by USAC Airways 693, LLC (per NTSB report)

The pilots’ loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions which resulted in a runway excursion. Also contributing was the flight crew’s decision to land at an airport where there was a rapidly approaching severe thunderstorm.

Part: FLAP SYSTEM — FAULT MESSAGE · airframe 18,101 hrs · 10,922 cycles

DURING APPROACH INTO KBZN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOWER THE FLAPS TO 5 DEGREES, GOT THE "FLAP FAIL" MESSAGE. FLAP SYSTEM INSPECTED AND FOUND BIT CODES 2, 5 & 8 ON FLAP CONTROLLER. ALSO FOUND DEICE FLUID IN LEFT AND RIGHT FLAP COVES. CLEANED BOTH FLAP COVES AND COMPONENTS OF DEICE FLUID. RESET FLAP CONTROLLER. PERFORMED SEVERAL OPERATIONAL CHECKS WITH ALL CHECKS BEING SATISFACTORY.

Part: STRUT — LOW PRESSURE (ZONE 700) · airframe 13,450 hrs · 7,731 cycles

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, GEAR RETRACTED, ALL NORMAL. AT ABOUT 40K FT, CAPTAIN HEARD A LOUD THUD & THE NOSE GEAR UNLOCK INDICATION CAME ON. CREW REPORTED RESISTANCE FROM THE NOSE SECTION. THEY DID A QUICK DECENT TO 10K FT & CYCLED THE GEAR. THEY CYCLED DOWN & GOT 3 GREEN & CYCLED BACK UP WITH NO UNLOCK INDICATIONS. TURNED BACK TO SBA, EXTENDED GEAR ON FINAL, 3 GREEN WITH NO ISSUES UPON LANDING. UPON TROUBLESHOOTING FOUND NOSE STRUT PRESSURE AT 2.6 PSI WHICH CAUSED THE GEAR TO NOT FULLY EXTEND AND COMPLETLEY ENGAGE THE UP-LOCK HOOK. ALSO FOUND THE NOSE UPPER STRUT UNDER SERVICED. SERVICED NOSE GEAR IAW AMM 12-10-38. PERFORMED SEVERAL GEAR RETRACTIONS WITH ALL CHECKS SATISFACTORY.

Part: PROXIMITY SWITCH — DEFECTIVE (ZONE 800) · airframe 13,395 hrs · 7,706 cycles

AFTER TAKEOFF, CABIN NOT PRESSURIZING. CABIN DOOR OPEN AND CABIN DOOR VENT OPEN MESSAGE APPEARED ON EICAS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: TROUBLESHOT SYSTEM. FOUND DEFECTIVE INNER HANDLE PROXIMITY SWITCH TO BE AT FAULT. REMOVED AND REPLACED PROXIMITY SWITCH. OPERATIONAL CHECKS SATISFACTORY AT THIS TIME.

Part: HYDRAULIC LINE — CHAFED (ZONE 200) · airframe 13,125 hrs · 7,573 cycles

CREW REPORTED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM A LOW QUANTITY DURING FLIGHT FROM TEB TO PBI. CREW FOLLOWED CHECKLIST AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND 2 HYDRAULIC LINES ON THE A SIDE COMPARTMENT CHAFFING. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A STANDOFF WHICH KEEP THE LINES SEPERATED WAAS BROKEN. THIS LEAD TO CAUSING NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO HYDRAULIC LINES AND CAUSING THEM TO CHAFE.

Part: GENERATOR — FAILED (RT ENGINE) · airframe 17,617 hrs · 10,703 cycles

DURING CRUISE, CREW REPORTED “GEN FAIL R”. APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES LATER, IT WAS FOLLOWED BY “OIL LEVEL LOW R”. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAPTAIN NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE AND ITT START TO MOVE SO HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN IN FLIGHT TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO SRM AND LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT INCIDENT. INITIAL INSPECTION FOUND RH DC GENERATOR SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

Part: ELECTRONIC UNIT — FAULTED (MLG) · airframe 14,938 hrs · 13,819 cycles

UNSAFE LMLG INDICATION ON EXTENSION. CYCLED GEAR AND PERFORMED QRH AND STILL INDICATING LANDING GEAR DISAGREE. PERFORMED MANUAL GEAR LEVER EXTENSION. ACHIEVED THREE DOWN INDICATION AND AURAL GEAR DOWN. LANDED AND PINNED GEAR PRIOR TO TAXI IN. AIRCRAFT REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND GEAR SWINGS PERFORMED. INSPECTED THE CMC AND FOUND LANDING GEAR ELECTRONIC UNIT FAILURE MESSAGE. REMOVED AND REPLACED LGEU. INSPECTED THE PROXIMITY SWITCHES FOR PROPER FUNCTION AND PERFORMED OEM CHAPTER 5 INSPECTION TASKS FOR LANDING GEAR MANUAL EXTENSION. PERFORMED 6 GEAR SWINGS WITH NO MORE FAULTS OR IMPROPER INDICATIONS. AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.

Part: UNKNOWN — UNKNOWN (UNKNOWN) · airframe 12,262 hrs · 7,504 cycles

RIGHT HAND FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 6000 FEET AFTER TAKEOFF. REMOVED AND REPLACED RIGHTHAND FRONT WINDSHIELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL REFERENCE. OPERATIONAL AND LEAK CHECKS SATISFACTORY AT THIS TIME.

Part: AOA — NONE · airframe 14,778 hrs · 9,055 cycles

AFTER TAKEOFF RIGHT HAND PFD STALL WARNING WAS ACTUATED CAUSING STICK SHAKER TO COME ON ALL THE TIME. CORRECTIVE ACTION: TROUBLESHOT SYSTEM. FOUND RIGHT HAND AOA PROBE AT FAULT. REMOVED AND REPLACED RH AOA PROBE AS PER AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL. GROUND OPS CHECKS OK AT THIS TIME.

Part: NONE — NONE

GEAR WILL NOT RETRACT ON TAKE OFF.

Part: DISPLAY — SMOKE (COCKPIT) · airframe 10,403 hrs · 6,064 cycles

SMOKE DETECTED COMING FROM CAPTAIN A SCREEN AT CRUISE ALTITUDE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: INSPECTED A SCREEN AND SURROUNDING WIRING. INSPECTED INSTRUMENT PANEL AND AVIONICS FANS. NO EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL DISCREPANCIES FOUND. PERFROMED OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF AVIONICS SYSTEMS AND WINDSHIELD HEAT. ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS SATISFACTORY AT THIS TIME. PERFORMED OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT. NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.

Part: ENGINE — SURGES (RIGHT) · airframe 10,235 hrs · 5,997 cycles

AFTER TAKEOFF FROM KOPF,WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH FLIGHT LEVEL 15000, RIGHT HAND ENGINE N2 BEGAN SURGING. THROTTLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO IDLE AND ENGINE STABILIZED. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHILE IN A HOLDING PATTERN, RH ENGINE N2 AGAIN BEGAN SURGING. LANDED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT INCIDENT INTO KPIE.

Part: CONTROL UNIT — MALFUNCTIONED (STAB) · airframe 14,253 hrs · 8,455 cycles

CLIMBING TO FL430 NOTICED THE STABILIZER TRIM CACKLE WAS SOUNDING RATHER EXCESSIVELY. IT SOUNDED 4 TIMES, THE 4TH TIME FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS. IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND PRIMARY TRIM, STOPPED THE CLIMB, LEVELED OFF, AND ENGAGED THE SECONDARY TRIM. TRIM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, SO AT THAT TIME IT WAS EVIDENT WE HAD A FLIGHT CONTROL ISSUE. FOLLOWED QRH PRIMARY STAB TRIM FAIL AND PROCEEDED WITH THE CHECKLIST. DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT TO LAND. CORRECTIVE ACTION: TROUBLESHOT SYSTEM, FOUND FAULTY ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. COMPLIED WITH CESSNA SERVICE BULLETIN 750-55-10 REV 4. ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS OK AT THIS TIME.

Part: WIRE — ARCED (COCKPIT) · airframe 13,937 hrs · 8,333 cycles

FLAP/SLAT FAIL CAUTION LEADING TO SMOKE COMING FROM FLAP HANDLE. FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING FOUND FLAP HANDLE LIGHT BEZEL WIRES ARCING AND CAUSING SMOKE TO EMANATE FROM FLAP HANDLE ASSEMBLY. LIGHT BEZEL WIRES WERE CAPPED AND STOWED AND LIGHT ASSEMBLY DEFERRED AS PER MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST. FLAP/SLAP OPERATIONAL CHECKS OK AS PER MAINTENANCE MANUAL.

Part: WIRE — ARCED (FLAP HANDLE) · airframe 13,937 hrs · 8,333 cycles

FLAP/SLAT FAIL CAUTION LEADING TO SMOKE COMING FROM FLAP SELECT HANDLE DURING TAXI UNTO RAMP. FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THE FLAP HANDLE LIGHT BEZEL WIRES WERE ARCING CAUSING THE SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE FLAP HANDLE.