I certainly hope there is more to this story than the NTSB report suggests. To understate this would be to say that this is not a favorable development for Eclipse taken at face value. This appears to have happened to a two pilot crew, but I really hope this is addressed before a similar event with a single pilot owner operator. Here is the text of the NTSB announcement.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2008
SB-08-27
NTSB ISSUES URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO FAA TO INSPECT ALL ECLIPSE 500 THROTTLE QUADRANTS
Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board
today issued two urgent recommendations to the Federal
Aviation Administration to address a safety issue concerning
a failure that resulted in uncontrollable engine thrust in
an Eclipse 500 airplane and the lack of emergency procedures
developed for that failure.
The Safety Board recommended that the FAA should require
immediate inspection of all Eclipse 500 airplane throttle
quadrants to ensure that pushing the throttle levers against
the maximum power stops will not result in an engine control
failure, and that the FAA should further require that all
units that fail inspection be replaced and replacement parts
be similarly inspected.
The Board also recommended that the FAA require Eclipse to
immediately develop for the Eclipse 500 airplane an
emergency procedure for a dual engine control failure and
incorporate the procedure into the airplane flight manual
and quick reference handbook via an airworthiness directive.
On June 5, 2008, an Eclipse 500 airplane, N612KB, on
approach to Chicago Midway Airport, experienced a failure
that resulted in uncontrollable maximum power thrust from
two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines. After
referencing the emergency procedures of the airplane’s quick
reference handbook, the pilots shut down one of the engines.
However, following the shutdown of the engine, the other
engine rolled back to idle power and continued to be
unresponsive to the throttle. The pilots declared an
emergency, were cleared to land on any runway and were able
to land the plane without injury to the two pilots or two
passengers.
“The Eclipse 500 is still a new aircraft model, with some
200 hundred having been delivered,” NTSB Chairman Mark V.
Rosenker said. “This incident demonstrated a technical
safety-of-flight issue that we believe needs immediate
attention.”
The Safety Board noted that the dual-channel failure of both
throttle levers occurred after the airplane had accumulated
only 238 hours and 192 cycles since new. As a result, the
Board is concerned about the reliability of an assembly that
fails in such a short time.
Furthermore, when the failed throttle quadrant assembly was
replaced on the accident airplane, pushing the throttle
levers on the replacement unit against maximum power stops
caused an R ENG CONTROL FAIL message to appear on the crew
alerting system display.
The Board further noted that the Eclipse 500’s flight manual
and quick reference handbook provide an emergency procedure
for a single engine control failure, but not for a dual
engine control failure, such as occurred in the incident.
The Safety Board is concerned that should there be another
dual engine control failure aboard an Eclipse 500, pilots
will be without guidance and may be unable to restore
control.
On Tuesday, June 10, 2008, the Safety Board gave a
preliminary briefing to the FAA on the status of its
investigation into this incident and informed the agency of
the Board’s intention to issue urgent recommendations.
The Safety Board is continuing its investigation.
A copy of the Board’s safety recommendation letter may be
accessed on the NTSB’s website at the following link:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2008/A08_46_47.pdf.
and
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 13, 2008
SB-08-28
NTSB CHAIRMAN LAUDS FAA FOR QUICK ACTION ON ECLIPSE 500
Washington, DC – National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark
V. Rosenker today applauded the Federal Aviation Administration for its
fast response to the urgent recommendations issued yesterday by the
Safety Board on the serious airworthiness issue involving the Eclipse
500.
Last night, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive addressing
dual engine control failures on the Eclipse 500. The directive informs
pilots of the incident where a pilot lost left and right engine control
while landing an Eclipse 500. It also provides pilots with operational
procedures to recover the control of their engines in the event of a
similar incident.
The AD, which is being sent to all owners and operators of Eclipse
Aviation Corporation Model EA500 airplanes, also calls for a test
procedure of the throttle quadrant to be conducted before their next
flight. And, the pilots are required to report the test results to the
FAA.
“The quick FAA response to the urgent recommendations we issued
could save lives,” Rosenker said. “Additionally, the NTSB is looking
forward to reviewing the results of the FAA-required inspections of
these aircraft.”
Next week, the FAA and Eclipse will be conducting further
evaluations and tests on the throttle quadrant from the incident
aircraft.