Status:	Final
Date:	10 FEB 1978
Time:	16:50
Type:	Beechcraft 99
Operator:	Columbia Pacific Airlines
Registration:	N199EA
C/n / msn:	U- 37
First flight:	1968
Total airframe hrs:	13701
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20
Crew:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:	Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Total:	Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17
Airplane damage:	Destroyed
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	0,5 km (0.3 mls) N of Richland Airport, WA (RLD) (United States of America)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Richland Airport, WA (RLD), United States of America
Destination airport:	Seattle/Tacoma International Airport, WA (SEA/KSEA), United States of America
Flightnumber:	23

Narrative:
The aircraft lifted off at a point of 1173 feet-1486 feet down runway 36 and was then seen to begin a steep climb at an angle of 20-45deg. to 300 feet-400 feet height. The plane then turned left and descended nose-down at a flightpath angle of about 45deg. until it struck the ground 1669 feet past the runway end and caught fire.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure and inability of the flightcrew to prevent rapid pitchup and stall by exerting sufficient push force on the control wheel. The pitchup was induced by the combination of a mistrimmed horizontal stabilizer and a center of gravity near the aircraft's aft limit. The mistrimmed condition resulted from discrepancies in the aircraft's trim system and the flightcrew's probable preoccupation with making a timely departure. Additionally a, malfunctioning stabilizer trim actuator detracted from the flightcrew's efforts to prevent the stall.
Contributing to the accident were inadequate flightcrew training, inadequate trim warning system check procedures, inadequate maintenance procedures, and ineffective FAA surveillance."

Sources:
» NTSB-AAR-78-15

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