Beechcraft 1900C N79GL

Summary

On 10 December 1997 at about 22:19 local time, a Beechcraft 1900C registered N79GL was involved in an accident near Rockford, Illinois, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 December 1997 at 22:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Rockford, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Greater Rockford (RFD)

Coordinates

42.1907, -89.0595

Aircraft

Beechcraft 1900C

Registration

N79GL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA063

Nobody was injured.

improper installation of aileron cables by the maintenance personnel, inadequate inspection by the company's maintenance personnel of maintenance performed, and inadequate preflight by the pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had just been refurbished, and it required a maintenance flight check before being released for flight. The pilot conducted a preflight of the airplane, checking the flight controls for freedom of movement and observing aileron movement up and down, but did not 'see' or notice incorrect aileron movement. The pilot used normal takeoff procedures. During rotation, the airplane's left wing began to drop to the left. The pilot applied right aileron, but with no effect. The airplane struck the left edge of the runway in a left wing low attitude, and the left wing impacted a taxi sign. An examination of the airplane revealed that the aileron cables were incorrectly connected at the turnbuckles in the wheelwell. The aircraft maintenance manual contained the following warning: 'Visually check to assure that aileron travel responds properly to the control wheel movement. When the control wheel is turned right, the right aileron should move up and the left aileron should move down.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.