Beechcraft 95-C55 N77CQ

Summary

On 23 July 1991 at about 00:00 local time, a Beechcraft 95-C55 registered N77CQ, operated by Bargman, Stuart, was involved in an accident near Granada Hills, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 1991 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Granada Hills, California, United States

Nearest airport

Van Nuys (VNY)

Coordinates

34.2894, -118.5005

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-C55

Registration

N77CQ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Bargman, Stuart

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Jose → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91FA324

3 people died.

A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL FOLLOWING AN UNDETERMINED AUTOPILOT FAILURE, DURING WHICH THE PILOT FAILED TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TO CORRECT A MIS-TRIM CONDITION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A PERCEIVED ELEVATOR CONTROL PROBLEM; THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO OVERPOWER THE MIS-TRIM CONDITION; AND A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND TRAINING IN AUTOPILOT SYSTEMS AND FAILURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A VISUAL APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, THE TOWER CONTROLLER NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH, AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO GO AROUND AND ENTER A RIGHT DOWNWIND. REPEATED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN TO DOWNWIND BROUGHT NO RESPONSE UNTIL A TURN WAS FINALLY INITIATED. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, REPORTING THAT HE WAS HOLDING FULL BACK ELEVATOR, TRYING TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE IN THE AIR, AND THAT IT LOOKED LIKE HIS ELEVATORS WERE STUCK. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT AND ENTERED A NEAR VERTICAL HIGH SPEED DESCENT INTO A STORAGE BUILDING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED BOTH ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATORS AT A 4 DEG NOSE DOWN TRIM POSITION, AND EVIDENCE INDICATES A 40 DEG DOWN ELEVATOR POSITION. NO MALFUNCTION OF THE ENGINES OR FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FOUND. THE AUTOPILOT SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED 7 HOURS OF TRAINING IN THE AIRPLANE, AND HAD 20 HOURS TOTAL TIME IN THE AIRPLANE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.