Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Vero Beach Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vero Beach, Florida 32966
Wednesday, April 28, 1999 13:23 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after takeoff the airplane collided with trees then the ground while descending for a forced landing over a residential area. After takeoff, the controller questioned the pilot if there were any problems. The pilot responded the engine was not 'getting good power'; the flight was returning to land. Examination of the wreckage revealed the throttle control was not connected to the undamaged throttle control arm which was at the idle position; the attach hardware was not located. The mixture control cable was connected to the control arm which was bent and broken. The propeller governor cable was tightly stretched. The throttle control in the cockpit was extended aft 3 inches, the cockpit mixture and propeller controls were full forward. The engine was started and operated normally. According to a mechanic, the throttle cable was replaced; the final inspection mechanic stated no cotter pin was installed at the throttle control arm in the engine compartment during full travel check of the throttle. He did not re-inspect to confirm installation of a cotter pin. The mechanic who replaced the cable reported installing a corrosion resistant cotter pin after the travel check. The airplane had accumulated 1.6 hours since, including a post inspection 45 minute flight by the pilot, the flight to Vero Beach, and the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to a disconnected throttle/power lever, cable. Also causal was the failure of the mechanic to install a cotter pin in the throttle control cable attach hardware at the throttle control arm, and failure of the company quality control inspector to verify after the job was completed that a cotter pin was installed, which resulted in disconnection of the throttle control cable from the throttle control arm after takeoff allowing the throttle control to move from the full open position. A related factor was the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/28/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1323 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERO BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32966 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | VERO BEACH |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | VRB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 234 |
| Airport Elevation | 25 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1329 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 54 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VRB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 25 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 892 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 28 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1327 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3458H |
| NTSB Number | MIA99FA142 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 210L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 210L |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2106064 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 10 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2662 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN C. TINTHOFF |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6500 N. UNIVERSITY SUITE 1A |
| Aircraft Owner City | PEORIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 61614 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | VRB |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1320 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MYGF |
| Destination City | FREEPORT |
| Destination State | OF |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |