Cleveland-Hopkins Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cleveland, Ohio 44181
Tuesady, December 15, 1992 9:12 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER ROTATION, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO CLIMB UNTIL ABOUT 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THEN ROLLED RIGHT, PITCHED DOWN AND DESCENDED. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND, APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES NOSE DOWN, 650 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE ELEVATOR JAMMED IN THE FULL UP DEFLECTION. THE UPPER END OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL ROD WAS FOUND NOT CONNECTED TO THE ELEVATOR, BUT WAS FOUND LAYING AFT, WEDGED BETWEEN THE TAIL CONE AND THE ELEVATOR FARING, HOLDING THE ELEVATOR IN THE FULL UP POSITION. THE CONTROL ROD CONNECTING BOLT WAS FOUND LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TAIL CONE UNDAMAGED. THE WASHER, NUT AND COTTER PIN RELATED TO THE CONTROL ROD CONNECTING BOLT WERE NOT FOUND. THE ELEVATOR HAD BEEN REMOVED, RECOVERED AND THEN INSTALLED BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL 166 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ELEVATOR BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE LACK OF PROPER INSPECTIONS BY A COMPANY CERTIFIED MECHANIC/INSPECTOR AND THE FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC WITH INSPECTOR AUTHORIZATION. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS AN INSUFFICIENTLY DEFINED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES THAT ALLOWED MULTIPLE MAINTENANCE TASKS TO BE COMBINED INTO A SINGLE LINE ENTRY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/15/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 912
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City CLEVELAND
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 44181
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CLEVELAND-HOPKINS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CLE
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 792
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 925 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID CLE
Elevation of weather observation facility 792
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 778
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 15 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1015
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48242
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:30PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N706M
NTSB Number NYC93FA044
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 18T
Aircraft Series Identifier 18T
Aircraft Serial Number 12360
Certified Max Gross Weight 11500
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 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Dec 7 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 9
Airframe Hours 16115
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MOHICAN AIR SERVICE INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 20800 PARKCLIFF DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City FAIRVIEW PARK
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 44126
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MOHICAN AIR SERVICE INC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 20800 PARKCLIFF DRIVE
Operator City FAIRVIEW PARK
Operator State OH
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 44126
Operator Code
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code CLE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 911
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SYR
Destination City SYRACUSE
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 7096
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --