Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sugar Land Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Friday, September 4, 2009 17:55 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on an autopilot descent when the pilot noticed the elevator pitch trim was rotating continuously in the nose-up position. He disconnected the autopilot and immediately heard a popping sound. The movement of the pitch trim stopped, and the pilot could manually turn the pitch trim wheel without force or resistance. He then hand flew the airplane using spoilers, 15 degrees of flaps and exerted approximately 10 to 20 pounds of back pressure on the yoke to keep the airplane in level flight. The pilot executed an emergency landing without further incident. A postincident examination of the airplane revealed that the pitch trim cable had fractured and separated in the area where it passed over the rearmost pulley in the tail. A subsequent materials laboratory examination revealed the pitch trim cable displayed evidence of permanent curved deformation near the fracture location, with localized smearing wear. Several of the fractured cable wires showed evidence of fatigue fracture and some showed the presence of cadmium. One of the cadmium plated pulley guard pins showed evidence of rubbing contact with the cable. The smearing wear and the presence of the cadmium on the cable wires is consistent with a misrouting of the cable over the cable guide pins instead of the proper routing over the cable pulley. Examination of partial aircraft maintenance records did not show entries for any maintenance events when the pitch trim cable was rerouted or reinstalled. The circumstances leading up to the improper misrouting of the pitch trim cables could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper installation of the pitch trim cable which resulted in it making improper contact with a guard pin that led to the fatigue failure of the cable.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 9/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1755 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sugar Land |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77478 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 293712N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0953914W |
| Event Location Airport | Sugar Land Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SGR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 83 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 82 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| 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) | 29.95 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28609 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Direct notification from A & P |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2011 3:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2349S |
| NTSB Number | CEN09IA578 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 421 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 421C1209 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 5 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 24 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48 |
| Airframe Hours | 2570 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TMC AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2401 FOUNTAIN VIEW DR STE 803 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HOUSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77057-4820 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | RUSSELL B THORSTENBERG JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77057 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SAF |
| Departure City | Santa Fe |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1340 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SGR |
| Destination City | Sugar Land |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 23 2011 5:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 8000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |