Accident Convair CV-340-70 N41626,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 322500

Date:	Saturday 4 December 2004
Time:	08:51
Type:	Convair CV-340-70
Owner/operator:	Miami Air Lease
Registration:	N41626
MSN:	274
Year of manufacture:	1955
Total airframe hrs:	18473 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	North Miami Beach, FL - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Opa-locka Airport, FL (OPF/KOPF)
Destination airport:	Nassau International Airport (NAS/MYNN)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The plane departed Opa-locka Airport at 08:39 carrying a load consisting of electronics, toys and furniture. About three miles offshore, at 3,000 feet, the pilot felt the plane vibrating and he saw smoke coming from the no. 1 engine. The crew were unable to feather the no. 1 propeller and the plane began to lose altitude. The pilot then turned and ditched the plane in the Maule Lake Marina in Miami.
Investigation revealed the no. 1 engine had been removed from N41626 on September 26, 2003 due to high oil consumption. It was reportedly preserved and stored at the operator's warehouse. On October 27, 2004 the left engine, which was producing metal for months, was removed and the previous engine was taken out of preservation and installed in the left position with a new overhauled propeller assembly. On November 6, 2004, the left engine's propeller governor was replaced due to the left propeller slow to response to power setting. Post-accident examination revealed that the master rod bearing had incurred a catastrophic failure. Examination of the propeller assembly revealed metal contamination throughout the system; the propeller's governor screen gasket was clogged with metal contamination.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The improper maintenance of the left engine by company maintenance personnel (failure to flush metal from the oil system and failure to properly preserve the engine for storage) resulting in a total failure of the master rod bearing and contamination of the engine oil system with metal, which prevented the left propeller from feathering. This resulted in the airplane being unable to maintain altitude following loss of engine power and subsequent ditching in a lake. A factor in this accident is the aircraft operator and flight crew exceeding the maximum allowable takeoff weight for the airplane."

Accident investigation: