Cessna 402B N8493A

Summary

On 26 May 1988 at about 01:06 local time, a Cessna 402B registered N8493A, operated by Napier Air Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near West Columbia, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 May 1988 at 01:06

Classification

Accident

Location

West Columbia, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Columbia Metro (CAE)

Coordinates

33.9918, -81.0748

Aircraft

Cessna 402B

Registration

N8493A

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Napier Air Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ATL88FA186

1 person died.

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

THE AIRPLANE USED ABOUT 1/2 OF THE 8,602 FT RWY FOR THE T/O ROLL. AFTER T/O IT PITCHED NOSE-DOWN BRIEFLY OVER THE RWY DURING INIT CLIMB. THE PLT RADIOED THAT HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE ELEVATOR WHICH REQUIRED 'FULL BACK PRESSURE' TO KEEP THE NOSE UP, AND THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO LAND. AFTER MANEUVERING AROUND THE ARPT, THE ACFT PITCHED 70-80 DEG NOSE DN AND DOVE INTO TERRAIN OFF THE APPCH END OF THE RWY. THE WRECKAGE EXAM REVEALED THAT THE BOLT SECURING THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB PUSHROD TO THE ACTUATOR WAS MISSING. THE ROD HAD BECOME WEDGED INSIDE THE ELEVATOR WHICH RESULTED IN AN EXTREME TAB UP (NOSE DN) CONDITION. THE ACFT UNDERWENT AN ANNUAL INSP 2 DAYS/5 FLT HRS EARLIER. THE IA MECH RPTD THAT NO MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON THE TAB SYS, AND THAT HE WAS CERTAIN THE BOLT WAS PROPERLY SAFETIED. ANOTHER PLT WHO FLEW THE ACFT THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT RPTD THAT HE FOUND THE PUSHROD TO BE SECURE DURING HIS PREFLT INSP. THE 402B POH INDICATED THAT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE REQ ABOUT 1,200 FT FOR THE T/O GROUND ROLL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.