Miami International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Miami, Florida 33166
Friday, May 9, 1997 13:06 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During the initial climb after takeoff, an elevator trim cable failure occurred at a pulley at fuselage station 275. The flight remained airborne to burn fuel, then landed uneventfully. Metallurgical examination of the failed cable revealed that 42 of the 49 individual wires failed due to fatigue. The elevator trim cable segments were only required to be visually inspected every 4,800 hours or 48 months. The trim cable segments were last inspected 22 months earlier and had accumulated 2,456.9 hours and 2,290 cycles since inspection. The failed cable had accumulated a total time of 10,562.3 hours and 14,525 cycles at the time of the failure.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

fatigue failure of a segment of the elevator trim cable system. A factor relating to the incident was: inadequate procedure for inspection of the cable system by the airplane manufacturer.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 5/9/1997
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1306
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MIAMI
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33166
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MIAMI INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MIA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 11
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1304 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MIA
Elevation of weather observation facility 11
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 31
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5003
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 9 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1425
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:17PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N263GA
NTSB Number MIA97IA160
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Short Brothers
Aircraft Model SD3-60
Aircraft Series Identifier SD3-60
Aircraft Serial Number SH3754
Certified Max Gross Weight 27100
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 39
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection May 3 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 39
Airframe Hours 10562
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 225 FRANKLIN ST.
Aircraft Owner City BOSTON
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 02101
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GULFSTREAM INT'L AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 777
Operator City MIAMI SPRINGS
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33266
Operator Code GUUA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code MIA
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1305
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MCO
Destination City ORLANDO
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --