Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 560XL near Abbeville, LA — 2011-04-08

Final reportCEN11IA286
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Date
2011-04-08
Location
Abbeville, LA, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 560XL
Registration
N547CS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pitch trim control cable failed due to fatigue, rendering the elevator trim inoperative.

NTSB narrative

During the initial climb and approaching the assigned altitude, the captain noticed an abnormal feel in the flight controls followed by the pitch trim annunciator light coming on. The captain disconnected the autopilot and felt the airplane’s nose immediately pitch up. The captain immediately corrected for the abnormal pressure and attempted to reduce the control forces via the electric and manual trim to no avail. The captain slowed the airplane to the speed at which it was trimmed and ran the checklist for a jammed elevator trim. The captain notified his company dispatch, declared an emergency with approach control, and landed the airplane uneventfully. A postincident examination showed that the elevator trim cable had failed due to fatigue. A laboratory examination showed slight wear on the individual cable strands. The cable had been installed at the time of manufacture and had accumulated 5,445.3 total hours. Following the examination, the airplane manufacturer determined that the cable required replacement with one made of improved rope wire material and issued a service bulletin requiring owners and operators to replace the elevator trim cable with the new cable within 300 hours or 6 months from receipt of the service bulletin.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
The captain could have inspected the elevator trim system before departure.

NTSB coding

  • Flight control sys malf/fail · Enroute

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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