Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Meadows Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bakersfield, California 93308
Wednesday, June 27, 2001 10:10 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the landing approach on an instructional flight, the certified flight instructor (CFI) initiated a go-around and experienced restricted elevator control movement. The elevator control became partially jammed in a nose low and then a nose high position. Roll and yaw control was not affected. Using considerable force, the CFI maintained airplane control and landed without additional incident. Thereafter, the airplane was inspected. Evidence of mechanical binding to the elevator pitch control cables was noted. Specifically, a screwdriver was found wedged between the nose gear actuator retract rod and the elevator control cables beneath the forward spar cover, between and under the pilots' seats. When the nose gear retracted, the nose gear actuator retract rod moved the screwdriver against the elevator control cable resulting in binding. Upon removal of the screwdriver, the elevator operation was normal. Two days prior to the incident, a contract mechanic had performed maintenance on the airplane. The maintenance required taking off the forward spar cover to allow removal and installation of a flap motor gearbox assembly and flap flex drives. Since this maintenance, the airplane had been operated 5.8 flight hours.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
During landing approach, mechanical binding of the elevator control cable occurred due to a contract mechanic's improper maintenance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 6/27/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1010 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bakersfield |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93308 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 352601N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1190325W |
| Event Location Airport | Meadows Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BFL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 507 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 507 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12676 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 29 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 25 2003 9:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO Fresno, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N808NH |
| NTSB Number | LAX01IA241 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-2817 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 25 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 3999 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ANA Trading Corp. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 333 S. Hope St., Ste 3100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Los Angeles |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90071 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | International Flight Training Academy, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1450 Boughton Drive |
| Operator City | Bakersfield |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93308 |
| Operator Code | I8FV |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BFL |
| Departure City | BAKERSFIELD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 921 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BFL |
| Destination City | Bakersfield |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - aborted |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 18 2002 2:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 30L |
| Runway Length | 3700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |