Eclipse Aviation Corporation EA500 incident near Chicago, Illinois, June 5, 2008
On June 5, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Eclipse Aviation Corporation EA500, registered N612KB, was involved in an incident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Midway International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane manufacturer's inadequate software design requirements of the engine's full authority digital electronic controls (FADEC) fault logic that resulted in a simultaneous unrecoverable loss of thrust control on both engines when the FADEC's input data values exceeded specified ranges during the approach. Contributing to the incident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to recognize and correct this condition during the certification of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago Midway International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eclipse Aviation Corporation EA500
- Registration
- N612KB · no longer on the register · serial 000026
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flying pilot of a very light jet airplane encountered windshear and a high sink rate on approach which he arrested by applying engine power. During landing he lightly applied brakes and observed that the airplane was accelerating. The pilot initiated a go-around. The engines were at maximum power and the crew alerting system illuminated left and right engine control failure messages. The automatic power reserve armed light was also illuminated. The crew maneuvered the airplane and troubleshot the engine control fail indication using the quick reference handbook while on downwind. The right engine was shutdown and the left engine would not respond to throttle movements during the remainder of the incident flight. The crew subsequently completed the emergency landing. On scene and subsequent throttle quadrant assembly examinations showed the assembly could produce an out of specified range signal when the throttles had forward force applied to them. Diagnostic storage unit data showed both engines' full authority digital engine control (FADEC)s encountered a fault signal from the engine controls about the time of the pilot's reported application of the throttles in response to the windshear during the incident approach. The airplane's FADEC fault logic was designed to "latch" or hold the last good value when the upper specified parameter limit was exceeded. The data showed the left engine went to flight idle when the right engine was shut down in accordance with the fault logic. The airplane's design was Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified with that fault logic. As a result of the investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board issued two urgent recommendations to the FAA. A-08-46 recommended an immediate inspection of all throttle quadrants to ensure that pushing the throttle levers against the maximum power stops will not result in an engine control failure, and further require that any units that fail the inspection be replaced and that the replacement parts be similarly inspected. A-08-47 recommended an immediate emergency procedure for a dual engine control failure on the incident airplane model and incorporate the procedure into the airplane flight manual and quick reference handbook via an airworthiness directive.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- Windshear or thunderstorm during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR go-around)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Miscellaneous/other during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control electronic › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control electronic › Design
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Design › Equipment design › Manufacturer
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Selection/certification/testing › Equip certification/testing › FAA/Regulator
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,500 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 15,125 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 27, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 238.9 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 31, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 5,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F-A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F-A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kiernan Companies LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH at 4:45 pm
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22R, 5,507 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from MDW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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.