Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22 near Greenville, SC — 2009-06-01

Final reportERA09IA315
Sign in to save
Date
2009-06-01
Location
Greenville, SC, USA
Airport
GMU
Aircraft
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
Registration
N695CD
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A pitch control malfunction for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was "returning the airplane to service," following a maintenance inspection. No anomalies were noted during the preflight inspection, engine start, taxi, run-up, and takeoff roll. As the airplane became airborne, the pilot noticed that the elevator control felt "loose," with about 1/2 inch of "play." The pilot proceeded to an area west of the airport, where the he performed in-fight checks uneventfully. As the airplane was returning to the airport, on short final approach, the pilot reduced the throttle to idle power for landing. Subsequently, about 25 feet above the ground, the nose pitched down. The pilot tried to pull back on the control yoke to flare, but the elevator control was stuck in the mid-range position. The airplane touched down on the nose gear and bounced back up into the air. The sudden jolt of the touchdown seemed to free the elevator control and the pilot was able to complete a normal landing. As the pilot taxied from the runway, he was able to duplicate the control jam. The operator noted that the pitch trim cartridge control rod felt "gritty" when actuated by hand. The operator subsequently reported that the anomaly did not reoccur after the pitch trim cartridge was removed and replaced. In addition, the operator did not report any work performed on the pitch trim cartridge during the recent maintenance inspection. Further examination of the airplane's pitch trim cartridge revealed some corrosion and black grease residue present; however, there was no conclusive evidence found to support a flight control jam.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the landing upon noticing control issues earlier.

NTSB coding

  • Flight control sys malf/fail · Approach-VFR pattern final

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

Related mishaps