Accident MBB HFB-320 Hansa Jet N604GA,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 322503

Date:	Tuesday 30 November 2004
Time:	19:56
Type:	MBB HFB-320 Hansa Jet
Owner/operator:	Grand Aire Express
Registration:	N604GA
MSN:	1037
Year of manufacture:	1969
Total airframe hrs:	6875 hours
Engine model:	General Electric CJ610-5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Howell Island, MO - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Saint Louis-Spirit of St. Louis Airport, MO (SUS/KSUS)
Destination airport:	Toledo-Express Airport, OH (TOL/KTOL)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
HFB-320 Hansa Jet N604GA was ferried from Toledo (TOL) to Saint Louis (SUS) on March 23, 2004. In July 2004, Midcoast Aviation, located at SUS, was asked to perform the maintenance required by the FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2004-01-11, "Replace Elevator Trim Cables." This was accomplished in September 2004. Two months later a Special Flight Permit was issued by the FAA for a ferry flight back to Toledo. Grand Aire's president arrived at Saint Louis to fly the plane back. At 19:43, N604GA contacted the SUS Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and received its IFR clearance to TOL. N604GA requested permission to do a high-speed back taxi on runway 26L. This was authorized. At 19:54, ATCT cleared N604GA for takeoff from runway 26L. The aircraft lost height after takeoff and crashed along the riverbank of Howell Island, about 3,7 km past the end of the runway.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The maintenance facility failed to properly install and inspect the elevator trim system resulting in the reversed elevator trim condition and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the terrain. Contributing factors included the dark night and low ceiling."

Accident investigation: