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| Date: | Saturday 29 October 1994 |
| Time: | 07:45 LT |
| Type: |  Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III |
| Owner/operator: | Ameriflight |
| Registration: | N191AF |
| MSN: | AC-491 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 22395 hours |
| Engine model: | GARRETT TPE-331-11U |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Oakland, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | (KOAK) |
| Reno, NV (KRNO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
Probable Cause: the company maintenance personnel's improper installation of the aileron cable.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX95IA027
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Mar-2024 12:51 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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