Fairchild SA227-DC incident near Enid, Oklahoma, June 11, 1996
On June 11, 1996 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Fairchild SA227-DC, registered N850LS, was involved in an incident near Enid, Oklahoma. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the accessory drive bearing, causing the accessory drive gear teeth to shear and disengage the fuel pump accessory drive shaft, resulting in a disabled fuel pump and subsequent fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1996 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Enid, Oklahoma
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227-DC · all SA227-DCs on the register
- Registration
- N850LS · no longer on the register · serial DC-850B
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced an uncommanded shut down of the right engine during initial climb to altitude. An emergency was declared, and an uneventful single engine landing was made at the departure airport. Subsequent to the incident, metallic chips were found on the chip detector. The bearings of the accessory gear housing assembly (P/N 3103601-6) was missing all of the balls. Fragments of these ball bearings were found in the bottom of the engine case. Examination of the bearing races revealed pitting and scoring. According to the operator's diagnostics, the disintegration of the bearings allowed the gear shaft to drop down and contact the gears of the accessory drive idler gear assembly. Subsequently, the fuel pump drive gear was not driven, causing the engine to be starved of fuel. Inspection of the idler gear assembly revealed sheared gear teeth. Examination of the gearbox oiling system, revealed no evidence of failure or thermal distress prior to the initial bearing failure. The engine manufacturer had recently issued Service Bulletins addressing the installation of heavier duty gear assemblies in applicable engine installations.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 4,100 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 1,929 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,451 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 30, 1996; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-12UHR (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lone Star Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: WDG
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.