Wants Emergency Procedures To Include Turbocharger Failure

The National Transportation Safety Board wants operators of piston-powered aircraft equipped with turbochargers to recognize the signs of turbo failure... and be better able to deal with the problem in flight.

On Tuesday, the Board recommended the FAA require manufacturers of aircraft equipped with engine turbochargers to amend their pilot operating handbooks and airplane flight manuals to include in the "Emergency Procedures" section information regarding turbocharger failure and, specifically, procedures to minimize potential hazards relating to fire in flight and/or loss of engine power.

As with other NTSB recommendations, there is a precedent for the Board's action. In May 2004, a turbocharger-equipped Cessna T206H (type shown below) operated by the Drug Enforcement Agency crashed in Homer Glen, IL after the pilot reported a loss of engine power while at cruise flight at 1,150 feet AGL. A witness reported they heard several attempts to restart the engine, and that black smoke billowed from the aircraft during each attempt.

The airplane struck trees as it descended and crashed into a garage attached to a house. The pilot was killed when the plane caught fire after impact, and exploded.

During its investigation, the NTSB discovered the turbocharger had failed and the turbine wheel seized. These findings prompted the Safety Board to examine the guidance in the Cessna T206H pilot operating handbook (POH) regarding how to address a turbocharger in-flight failure.

"This examination revealed that the in-flight emergency procedures lacked information to assess the difference between an engine and a turbocharger failure and did not provide any clear guidance or instructions on how to handle a turbocharger failure once a pilot identified the problem," the NTSB says. "The Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was, in part, 'the seized turbocharger…. [c]ontributing factors were the inadequate emergency procedures by the manufacturer.'"

The Board notes it issued a similar recommendation in April 1994, following another incident involving a Cessna T210L. In that case, the plane suffered partial engine failure.. and as the pilot attempted to remedy the problem, the aircraft crashed short of the runway in Temple Bar, AZ.

Two persons onboard that plane were killed, and three others injured.

FMI: Read The Full Text Of Recommendation A-08-21 (.pdf)