Aviation Crash Map

Fairchild SA-227AC N191AF

29 October 1994 · Oakland, California, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 29 October 1994 at about 14:45 local time, a Fairchild SA-227AC registered N191AF was involved in an incident near Oakland, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 14:45
Classification
Incident
Location
Oakland, California, United States
Nearest airport
Oakland International (OAK)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Fairchild SA-227AC
Registration
N191AF
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Unknown → Reno
Aircraft damage
Not recorded
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX95IA027

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

the company maintenance personnel's improper installation of the aileron cable.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF AILERON CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE CABLE BROKE NEAR ITS 90-DEGREE ATTACH PULLEYS. THE SAFETY BOARD MATERIALS LABORATORY CONDUCTED A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE CABLE'S FRACTURED SURFACES. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED THE CABLE SEPARATED DUE TO HIGH-STRESS/LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE CRACKING. MOST WIRE ENDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE SEPARATION WERE SEVERELY BENT. SUCH DAMAGE WOULD MOST LIKELY BE PRODUCED BY A KINK IN THE CABLE. A CABLE KINK CREATES VERY HIGH TENSILE STRESSES ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE KINK AND WOULD GENERATE PREMATURE HIGH-STRESS FATIGUE CRACKING. THE 15 HOURS OF TIME SINCE INSTALLATION IS CONSISTENT WITH SOME SORT OF SEVERE CONDITION SUCH AS A KINK. THE MECHANIC MOST LIKELY INSTALLED THE CABLE WITH ONE END TWISTED COMPARED WITH THE OTHER END.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Fairchild SA-227AC accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
5 Apr 1994 Fairchild SA-227AC
N174SW
Ontario, California, United States Skywest Airlines Inc. Minor injuries -
18 Apr 1992 Fairchild SA-227AC
N27465
Lexington, Kentucky, United States Mesaba Airlines Minor injuries -
25 Jun 1992 Fairchild SA-227AC
N2691W
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
no coordinates
Northeast Express Airlines No injuries -
7 Oct 1991 Fairchild SA-227AC
N120FA
Augusta, Maine, United States
no coordinates
Northeast Express Minor injuries -
20 Jan 1988 Fairchild SA-227AC
N68TC
Bayfield, Colorado, United States Trans Colorado Airlines Fatal 9
9 Mar 1985 Fairchild SA-227AC
N3115U
Hailey, Idaho, United States Horizon Airlines, Inc. No injuries -

All 7 records for this type

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Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Sep 1994 Piper PA-28R-201
N30150
Fort Bragg, California, United States Sundance Flying Club Serious injuries -
12 May 1994 Schweizer G-164B
N8214S
Yuba City, California, United States
no coordinates
Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. No injuries -
3 Sep 1994 Cessna T210L
N732DT
Kettleman City, California, United States Willie Alves Rodrigues No injuries -
13 May 1994 Maule M-5-235C
N711CX
Columbia, California, United States White, James L. No injuries -
19 May 1994 Cessna 150L
N6747G
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23 Sep 1994 Robinson R-22
N4001B
Chico, California, United States Sierra Aviation No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States