Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Merced, California 95340
Friday, June 18, 2010 18:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that during cruise flight several minutes after departure he felt both the control yoke and airframe shake violently. The pilot looked out of his window toward the tail section and observed the elevator trim tab fluttering up and down with no corresponding movement to the trim wheel inside the cockpit. The pilot reduced engine power to slow the airplane and regain aircraft control. The airplane began to descend despite full aft elevator pressure. Realizing that he did not have elevator control, the pilot manually manipulated the throttle for pitch control and contacted air traffic control to report his situation. During the descent to a road, the left wing struck a heavy advertising sign and a fence post. After exiting the airplane, the pilot inspected the trim tab and stated that it had failed outboard of the trim cable control horn bracket attachment. He also reported that the upper bolt for the elevator control cable bellcrank to the elevator torque tube attachment bracket was missing. Further examination of the airframe revealed that bolts from the upper attachment and the aft attachment for the elevator control cable bellcrank to elevator torque tube attachment were missing. Damage to the airframe in the tail section included, on the right side torque tube, rub marks on the leading edge with corresponding damage to the adjacent airframe skin, and left side torque tube rub marks on the trailing edge with damage to the rudder skin behind it. What likely occurred was that the elevator attachment bolts on the elevator control cable bellcrank backed out, which then initiated flutter at the elevator, which transferred to the trim tab causing it to fail in overload. Maintenance records indicated that the applicable Airworthiness Directive for the inspection of the trim tab horn attachment was accomplished in December 1949. The airplane had flown 7 hours since its last annual inspection 6 months prior to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inability to maintain airplane control during cruise flight due to the failure of the elevator trim tab as a result of missing hardware for the elevator control cable bellcrank to elevator torque tube attachment bracket.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/18/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Merced |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95340 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 372300N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1203900W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 1853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HJO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 240 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.83 |
| 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) | 28256 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2011 1:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1606B |
| NTSB Number | WPR10LA306 |
| 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 | LUSCOMBE |
| Aircraft Model | 11A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11-112 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2280 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 11 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 1541 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John Drexler |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Las Vegas |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89131 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | John Drexler |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Las Vegas |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89131 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | VIS |
| Departure City | Visalia |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VCB |
| Destination City | Vacaville |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 20 2011 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |