Fairchild SA227 AC accident near Rifle, Colorado, April 17, 2015
On April 17, 2015 at about 4:45 am local time, a 1986 Fairchild SA227 AC, registered N2691W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Rifle, Colorado (Garfield County Rgnl). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The uncontained engine failure due to the fatigue failure of the second-stage turbine rotor disk.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2015 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Rifle, Colorado · Garfield County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227 AC, built 1986 · all SA227 ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2691W · registry record · serial AC-655B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot departed in the twin-engine airplane for a scheduled, domestic cargo flight. He reported that, during the climb, he heard a "bang," which was followed by a loss of engine power and fire indications from the right engine. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to another airport for an instrument approach and landed uneventfully. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right engine's second-stage turbine rotor had separated. One portion of the rotor exited through the left side of the engine and nacelle structure, penetrated the right side of the fuselage, and came to rest inside the fuselage wall. Other portions of the separated rotor exited through the right side of the engine. The engine and the inside of the nacelle structure exhibited fire damage, but no evidence of a sustained fire was found in that area. The examination of the turbine engine revealed fatigue cracks on the second-stage rotor disk, which indicates that the rotor disk likely failed due to fatigue, and this likely resulted in the uncontained engine failure.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (climb to cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,920 hours in all; 1,130 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 2,765 as pilot in command; 1,002 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 8, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,855 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 24, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Airesearch TPE331 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Airesearch TPE331 SERIES (turboprop); 26,235 hours total
- Operator: Key Lime Air Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: RIL Rifle CO at 4:37 am
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from KRIL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2691W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.