Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Rapid City Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
Friday, August 29, 2003 16:35 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Cessna 650 experienced a right wing aileron cable failure while in cruise flight at FL390 approximately 200 miles southeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. The pilot in command reported that with the autopilot engaged, the airplane started a gentle roll to the right. The autopilot was disengaged and a approximate 40 degree control wheel deflection to the left was made to keep the wings level. The right aileron did not seem to move with control wheel deflection. The right roll control spoiler did respond to control wheel inputs. All left control surfaces appeared to function normally. The pilots consulted all control malfunction checklists, and there were no changes noted. The pilots decided to continue to the destination. An uneventful, full-flap landing was made at Rapid City Municipal Airport. Maintenance personnel discovered a completely broken right outboard aileron cable. The right aileron cable (Part Number 6260106-25) underwent a metallurgical examination. The wire stands displayed sheared and cut ends due to pinching as if the cable came off its large diameter pulley and was pulled over a small radius and pinched. Only a few tensile cup cone fractures were found, indicating nearly all the wire strands had been sheared or cut prior to final tensile separation of the few remaining strands.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight failure of the right wing aileron cable during cruise.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 8/29/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1635 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rapid City |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57701 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 440243N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1030326W |
| Event Location Airport | RAPID CITY REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RAP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 200 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 135 |
| Airport Elevation | 3204 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1652 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RAP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3204 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| 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 | 9 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15421 |
| NTSB Notification Source | PIC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 5 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 820 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2004 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Rapid City, SD |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N651EJ |
| NTSB Number | CHI03IA300 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 650 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 650-0241 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 22200 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 25 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 56.4 |
| Airframe Hours | 4705.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Fleet Capital, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | One Financial Plaza |
| Aircraft Owner City | Providence |
| Aircraft Owner State | RI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02903 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Three Angels Broadcasting Network |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3391 Charlie Good Road P.O. Box 220 |
| Operator City | West Frankfort |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 26896 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MWA` |
| Departure City | Marion |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RAP |
| Destination City | Rapid City |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 5 2004 7:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 8701 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |