Boutique Air, Inc.

Operated by Boutique Air (per NTSB report)

The loss of engine power due to a mis-rigged beta control cable (propeller reversing cable), which resulted in a loss of thrust inflight.

Sanction: $40,000 · case closed 2024-09-05

Sanction: $150,000 · case closed 2023-08-04

Sanction: $90,000 · case closed 2024-09-13

Sanction: $5,000 · case closed 2021-02-19

Part: ENGINE — DAMAGED (ZONE 400) · airframe 12,862 hrs · 13,050 cycles

TOOK 15 MINUTES TO CLIMB TO 17,000 AND WERE LEVEL FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES WHEN A RAPID SERIES OF BLAST NOISES CAME FROM THE ENGINE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF SPARKS CONTINUOUSLY EMANATING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. OUR POWER SETTING WERE LIKELY 1.5PSI TO 2PSI BELOW MAX TORQUE, AS THIS IS GENERALLY WHERE I LIKE TO SET THE POWER. OUR ITT’S WERE WELL WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE (LIKELY AROUND 710) AND OUR NG’S WERE NORMAL ALSO. THESE SPECIFIC NUMBERS CAN BE PULLED. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE SURGES OR STALLS (WHICHEVER THEY WERE) AFFECTED THE ENGINE INDICATIONS, THOUGH I REDUCED POWER QUICKLY AFTER THE EVENT TO GET IT TO STOP. THE SEPARATOR WAS CLOSED IN VMC CONDITIONS. I REDUCED POWER IN HOPING TO FIND A SWEET SPOT WHERE THE BLASTS WERE NOT OCCURRING AND PULLED THE PCL BACK TO HAVE THE NG IN THE SINGLE DIGIT RANGE. THIS HAD THE EFFECT THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WITH A CESSATION OF THE SURGES AND SPARKS FOR THE MOST PART. ANY POWER INPUTS THEREAFTER ON OUR WAY TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT BROUGHT BACK THE SURGES AND SPARKS. I FELT AS IF I COULD GET AN INCREASE IN POWER FROM THE ENGINE, AND DID SO A FEW TIMES, BUT THE SPARKING AND SURGE/STALLS INCREASED AS WELL. THE SPARKS ALSO CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT, BUT NOT AS MANY AS WHEN EVENT INITIALLY STARTED. AROUND 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT WE DID START TO SMELL SMOKE, BUT NOT THAT WAS VISIBLE NOR SEEMED TO BE WORKING ITS WAY INTO THE COCKPIT TO ANY SIGNIFICANT DEGREE. THIS SMELL WAS BRIEF AND DISSIPATED QUICKLY. I INTENTIONALLY KEPT THE AIRCRAFT HIGH ON THE WAY TO OUR KAVP TO BETTER ENSURE MAKING THE AIRPORT IF THE ENGINE WERE TO QUIT. WE WERE SET UP FOR THE ILS AND VECTORED TO LOSE ALTITUDE. WE BROKE OUT OF AN OVERCAST LAYER WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN 2500 TO 3500’. I CALLED FOR THE GEAR AND FLAPS WHEN WE WERE MAYBE ¼ OF A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY TO ENSURE WE WOULD MAKE IT. I DID NOT USE BETA OR REVERSE AND WE ROLLED OUT NEAR THE FAR END OF THE RUNWAY.

Part: PRESSURE SWITCH — INOPERATIVE (FUEL SYSTEM) · airframe 8,363 hrs · 8,751 cycles

FUEL PRESSURE CAWS ILLUMINATED AT THROTTLE ADVANCEMENT AND IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TAKEOFF WITH THROTTLE MAX POSITION FLIGHT IDLE.

Part: NUT — MISSING (LT MLG) · airframe 10,672 hrs · 10,734 cycles

LEFT MAIN WHEEL DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT LANDED DAMAGING THE LEFT BRAKE, DRAG LINK. DOOR WAS DAMAGED AS IT NO LONGER CLEARED THE GROUND IN THE OPEN POSITION.

Part: BRAKE — MALFUNCTIONED (RIGHT) · airframe 7,206 hrs · 8,014 cycles

NO RIGHT HAND BRAKE ACTUATION WHEN APPLIED DURING TAXI.

Part: PIN — BENT (MLG ACTUATOR) · airframe 6,966 hrs · 6,530 cycles

UNABLE TO SELECT GEAR UP DUE TO THE SAFETY LOCK ON GEAR HANDLE REMAINING LOCKED. AIRCRAFT FLOWN TO DESTINATION AT REDUCED AIRSPEED AND LANDED WITH NO OTHER ISSUES. MAINTENANCE FOUND A BENT PIN THE THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Part: GROUND STUD — CORRODED (MASTER BATTERY) · airframe 12,499 hrs · 11,879 cycles

INSPECTION REVEALED CORROSION AT THE BATTERY GROUND POINT. THIS IS THE THIRD ONE IN THE FLEET IN RECENT WEEKS. ONE WAS TOTAL ELECTRIC FAILURE IN FLIGHT.

Part: GROUND STUD — CORRODED (MASTER BATTERY) · airframe 5,190 hrs · 5,214 cycles

TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON APPROACH GEN 1 & 2 AND BATTERY WERE PROVIDING NO POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT. A SAFE LANDING WAS MADE. CORROSION WAS FOUND AT FRAME 38 UNDER THE BATTERY GROUND ATTACH BOLT.

Part: FRAME — CORRODED (FRAME 38) · corrosion level 2 · airframe 7,426 hrs · 7,705 cycles

FOUND CORROSION UNDER NUMBER ONE BATTERY GROUNDING LUG. THE FRAME THE LUG IS BOLTED TO REQUIRES REPAIR, PER PILATUS ENGINEERING PROVIDED REPAIR PROCEDURE.

Part: BEARING — SEIZED (MLG WHEEL) · airframe 9,625 hrs · 9,522 cycles

INNER WHEEL BEARING FAILED WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND COCKED AND SLID BREAKING THE BEAD AND DEFLATING. AIRCRAFT STOPPED BEFORE ANY FURTHER DAMAGE.