Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dutch Harbor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dutch Harbor, Alaska 99692
Friday, January 18, 2008 12:45 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the nonscheduled cargo flight reported that during taxi for takeoff the airplane encountered a 68-knot wind gust, and he returned to the gate to examine the rudder. Finding no damage, he continued the flight. After takeoff, the pilot said there was very little left rudder control. An examination of the rudder was made after the airplane landed at its destination. From the pilot's rudder pedals, the rudder is controlled by a cable which makes a 180-degree turn toward the tail via two phenolic pulleys. Each pulley has two guard pins, which keep the cable from jumping off the pulleys if the cable becomes slack. The inspection showed that the cable had jumped off the upper pulley. The pulley's upper guard pin had retracted, and did not prevent the cable from jumping off the pulley. The guard pin has a perforated and deformed end, giving it a spring action which secures the pin after passing through the holes on either side of the pulley bracket. No service difficulty reports were found for the pins, and the pins do not have any service life limits. An examination of the operator's other, similar model airplanes, showed that several of their guard pins had also retracted. Evidence suggests that the pin's locking action becomes weakened and ineffective by repeated use. The operator submitted a service difficulty report, and as a result of this incident, the manufacturer has published service letters 226-SL-037, 227-SL052, and CC7-SL-045. The service letters indicate that the pins should be inspected, and that all pins should be replaced with improved pins, and secured with cotter pins.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The disengagement of the rudder control cable and loose rudder cable retaining pins. A factor contributing to the accident was a wind gust.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1245 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Dutch Harbor |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99692 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 535425N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1663257W |
| Event Location Airport | Dutch Harbor |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L2G |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1236 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAUD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 22 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| 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) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 37 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 47 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23685 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 18 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2008 12:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO-03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41NE |
| NTSB Number | ANC08IA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Fairchild |
| Aircraft Model | SA227-AC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 741B |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16000 |
| 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 | 19 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 36207 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PENINSULA AIRWAYS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99502 |
| 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 | PNSA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | L-2G |
| Departure City | Dutch Harbor |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PANC |
| Destination City | Anchorage |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi - to takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 23 2008 3:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |