Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Greater Rockford Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rockford, Illinois 61109
Wednesday, December 10, 1997 16:19 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane had just been refurbished, and it required a maintenance flight check before being released for flight. The pilot conducted a preflight of the airplane, checking the flight controls for freedom of movement and observing aileron movement up and down, but did not 'see' or notice incorrect aileron movement. The pilot used normal takeoff procedures. During rotation, the airplane's left wing began to drop to the left. The pilot applied right aileron, but with no effect. The airplane struck the left edge of the runway in a left wing low attitude, and the left wing impacted a taxi sign. An examination of the airplane revealed that the aileron cables were incorrectly connected at the turnbuckles in the wheelwell. The aircraft maintenance manual contained the following warning: 'Visually check to assure that aileron travel responds properly to the control wheel movement. When the control wheel is turned right, the right aileron should move up and the left aileron should move down.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
improper installation of aileron cables by the maintenance personnel, inadequate inspection by the company's maintenance personnel of maintenance performed, and inadequate preflight by the pilot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/10/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1619 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | ROCKFORD |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61109 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GREATER ROCKFORD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RFD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 736 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1659 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RFD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 736 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| 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 | 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 956 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 10 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2022 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N79GL |
| NTSB Number | CHI98LA063 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 1900C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 1900C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | UC-79 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16710 |
| 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 | 21 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 10 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 19032 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT CREDIT CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9709 E. CENTRAL AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | WICHITA |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67206 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RFD |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1605 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | 10 |
| Runway Length | 8199 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |