Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Orange County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Montgomery, New York 12549
Thursday, December 14, 2006 13:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident flight was the airplane's first flight after an annual inspection was completed. After takeoff, the airplane's pitch oscillated as it climbed approximately 200 to 500 feet agl. The airplane then made a left turn, descended, and impacted trees upright. Review of maintenance records, and an interview with a mechanic that worked on the airplane, revealed that the airplane's elevator trim actuator was removed and replaced as part of the maintenance associated with the annual inspection. In total, four mechanics worked on the airplane, one of which held and inspector authorization (IA), and endorsed the aircraft logbooks at the completion of the annual inspection. Examination of the right horizontal stabilizer revealed that the upper elevator trim cable crossed the lower elevator trim cable as they traveled from the elevator trim actuator, to the pulley located at the center of the empennage. Review of a Cessna Aircraft Company Illustrated Parts Catalog revealed that there should be no crossing of the elevator trim cables traveling from the elevator trim actuator, to the pulley at the center of the empennage. In addition, the elevator trim tab was found in the full (10-degree) nose down position.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Improper maintenance performed on the airplane by maintenance personnel, and the failure of the mechanic with an inspection authorization (IA) to verify the maintenance work performed, which resulted in a reverse elevator trim system, and subsequent loss of control and collision with trees during the initial climb from takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/14/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1310 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Montgomery |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 12549 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412925N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0741459W |
| Event Location Airport | Orange County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MGY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 365 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1254 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 365 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 22196 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 14 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2007 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Teterboro, NJ |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8FH |
| NTSB Number | NYC07FA047 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 310Q |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 310Q1035 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 3950 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Frank L. Holland |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | West Orange |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07052 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | MGJ |
| Departure City | Montgomery |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1310 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MMU |
| Destination City | Morristown |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2007 8:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 3672 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |