De Havilland DHC-7-102 N708ZW

Summary

On 15 May 1984 at about 18:10 local time, a De Havilland DHC-7-102 registered N708ZW was involved in an incident near Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. 25 people were on board and nobody was injured. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 May 1984 at 18:10

Classification

Incident

Location

Battle Creek, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.4007, -85.2208

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-7-102

Registration

N708ZW

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Muskegon → Battle Creek

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI84IA197

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CRUISING AT 7000 FT MSL, THE 1ST OFFICER WAS TRIMMING THE RUDDER, USING THE ROTARY SWITCH ON THE CENTER CONSOLE, WHEN HE FELT A 'SNAP' INSIDE THE SWITCH. AFTER THAT, THE SWITCH WOULD ROTATE FREELY BETWEEN THE STOPS. THE ACFT BEGAN YAWING LEFT & RIGHT UNTIL THE CREW PULLED THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO DISABLE THE RUDDER TRIM. SUBSEQUENTLY, THEY LANDED WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER TRIM. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT A CENTERING SPRING, P/N 42M4231137, WHICH LOADS THE SWITCH TO THE NEUTRAL/OFF POSITION HAD FAILED AT A FATIGUE CRACK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.