Narrative:
A Convair 580 airplane, N587X, had undergone a C-check at Columbus-Rickenbacker Airport (LCK). The C-check included flight control cable rigging.
A captain, first officer, and a company pilot were taking the aircraft on a post maintenance check flight to Mansfield (MFD). At 12:00, the flight received its takeoff clearance, and the airplane started its takeoff roll about 12:03 from runway 05L. About one minute later, at 12:04 the flight contacted ATC and stated that it needed to return to the airport, and it was cleared to land on runway 5L. ATC asked the flight if it needed equipment and the flight responded, "Negative." About 12:06, the airplane impacted a cornfield about one mile southwest of the approach end of runway 5L.
It cut through the high corn that was produced by the airplane's landing gear, fuselage, and wings indicated that it was in a slight right wing down attitude on a glide path of about 10 degrees at impact. The initial contact with the corn revealed three parallel cuts through the corn that were consistent with the landing gear being in the down position. Both left and right propeller gearboxes separated from the engines and were found near the initial impact point. All four blades from both propeller hubs were separated from the hubs and were found throughout the wreckage path. Both propeller hubs were located about 1,250 feet from the initial impact point, the furthest wreckage found in the debris field. The debris field stretched from about 665 feet from the initial point of impact to an abandoned set of railroad tracks within a tree line. The main wreckage was found about 160 feet south of the railroad tracks, or about 825 feet from the initial impact point.
The on-site inspection of the accident airplane revealed that the elevator trim cables were reversed. As a result, when the pilot applied nose-up trim, the elevator trim system actually applied nose-down trim.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The improper (reverse) rigging of the elevator trim cables by company maintenance personnel, and their subsequent failure to discover the misrigging during required post-maintenance checks. Contributing to the accident was the captains inadequate post-maintenance preflight check."
Loss of control
» Flightaware
» NTSB
accident date: 01-09-2008
type: Convair CV-580
registration: N587X
accident date: 01-09-2008
type: Convair CV-580
registration: N587X
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 1 September 2008 |
| Time: | 12:06 |
| Type: |  Convair CV-580 |
| Operator: | Air Tahoma |
| Registration: | N587X |
| MSN: | 361 |
| First flight: | 1956 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 71990 |
| Engines: | 2 Allison 501-D13D |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 1,6 km (1 mls) SW of Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH (LCK) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH (LCK/KLCK), United States of America |
| Mansfield-Lahm Municipal Airport, OH (MFD/KMFD), United States of America |
A Convair 580 airplane, N587X, had undergone a C-check at Columbus-Rickenbacker Airport (LCK). The C-check included flight control cable rigging.
A captain, first officer, and a company pilot were taking the aircraft on a post maintenance check flight to Mansfield (MFD). At 12:00, the flight received its takeoff clearance, and the airplane started its takeoff roll about 12:03 from runway 05L. About one minute later, at 12:04 the flight contacted ATC and stated that it needed to return to the airport, and it was cleared to land on runway 5L. ATC asked the flight if it needed equipment and the flight responded, "Negative." About 12:06, the airplane impacted a cornfield about one mile southwest of the approach end of runway 5L.
It cut through the high corn that was produced by the airplane's landing gear, fuselage, and wings indicated that it was in a slight right wing down attitude on a glide path of about 10 degrees at impact. The initial contact with the corn revealed three parallel cuts through the corn that were consistent with the landing gear being in the down position. Both left and right propeller gearboxes separated from the engines and were found near the initial impact point. All four blades from both propeller hubs were separated from the hubs and were found throughout the wreckage path. Both propeller hubs were located about 1,250 feet from the initial impact point, the furthest wreckage found in the debris field. The debris field stretched from about 665 feet from the initial point of impact to an abandoned set of railroad tracks within a tree line. The main wreckage was found about 160 feet south of the railroad tracks, or about 825 feet from the initial impact point.
The on-site inspection of the accident airplane revealed that the elevator trim cables were reversed. As a result, when the pilot applied nose-up trim, the elevator trim system actually applied nose-down trim.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The improper (reverse) rigging of the elevator trim cables by company maintenance personnel, and their subsequent failure to discover the misrigging during required post-maintenance checks. Contributing to the accident was the captains inadequate post-maintenance preflight check."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Wrong installation of parts Loss of control
Sources:
» Three dead in cargo plane crash near Rickenbacker (The Columbus Dispatch, 1-9-2008)» Flightaware
» NTSB
Photos
accident date: 01-09-2008
type: Convair CV-580
registration: N587X
accident date: 01-09-2008
type: Convair CV-580
registration: N587X
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH to Mansfield-Lahm Municipal Airport, OH as the crow flies is 117 km (73 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH to Mansfield-Lahm Municipal Airport, OH as the crow flies is 117 km (73 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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