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19940119009869I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cessna 340A · Bermuda Dunes, CA · January 19, 1994

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 19, 1994
Place
Bermuda Dunes, CA
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N8530G
Reported as
Cessna 340A
Reported engine
Continental IO520*
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total200 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The aircraft, a Cessna 340 equipped with an s-tec 60-2 autopilot, was nearly involved in an air crash on January 19, 1994. The circumstances were; after departing barmude Dunes, CA (udd) for hawthrone, CA (hhr), and at an altitude of approximately one hundred (100), the aircraft severely rolled to the left and pitched down. The pilot immediately attempted to disconnect the autopilot by the disconnect switch located on the yoke, and simultaneously, manually attempting to override the autopilot commands. The autopilot would not disengage, and was fully engaged in two axes (roll and pitch) despite the efforts to override. During the attempt to override, at an altitude of five hundred (500) feet, the pilot was able to remove one hand from the yoke long enough to pull the circuit breakers and disable the autopilot. The installing agency (waypoint avionics, bismarck, ND) flew to California to diagnose the malfunction on February 4, 1994. During the course of troubleshooting, it was found that the autopilot system ground at the programmer was the cause of the malfunction. The fault was duplicated, consistently, by disconnecting the ground wire the autopilot would self-engage. In discussion with the manufacturer, s-tec, mineral wells, TX it was learned that they were aware of this problem, and had also been able to duplicate this malfunction at their facility. The fargo ND FSDO, working with the dfw manufacturing inspection district office (mido), are processing an m or d, and will pursue an airworthiness directive (AD) as required.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT, A CESSNA 340 EQUIPPED WITH AN S-TEC 60-2 AUTOPILOT, WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN AIR CRASH ON JANUARY 19, 1994. THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE; AFTER DEPARTING BARMUDE DUNES, CA (UDD) FOR HAWTHRONE, CA (HHR), AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED (100), THE AIRCRAFT SEVERELY ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND PITCHED DOWN. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPILOT BY THE DISCONNECT SWITCH LOCATED ON THE YOKE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, MANUALLY ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOPILOT COMMANDS. THE AUTOPILOT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, AND WAS FULLY ENGAGED IN TWO AXES (ROLL AND PITCH) DESPITE THE EFFORTS TO OVERRIDE. DURING THE ATTEMPT TO OVERRIDE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF FIVE HUNDRED (500) FEET, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE ONE HAND FROM THE YOKE LONG ENOUGH TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND DISABLE THE AUTOPILOT. THE INSTALLING AGENCY (WAYPOINT AVIONICS, BISMARCK, ND) FLEW TO CALIFORNIA TO DIAGNOSE THE MALFUNCTION ON FEBRUARY 4, 1994. DURING THE COURSE OF TROUBLESHOOTING, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AUTOPILOT SYSTEM GROUND AT THE PROGRAMMER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAULT WAS DUPLICATED, CONSISTENTLY, BY DISCONNECTING THE GROUND WIRE THE AUTOPILOT WOULD SELF-ENGAGE. IN DISCUSSION WITH THE MANUFACTURER, S-TEC, MINERAL WELLS, TX IT WAS LEARNED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAD ALSO BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS MALFUNCTION AT THEIR FACILITY. THE FARGO ND FSDO, WORKING WITH THE DFW MANUFACTURING INSPECTION DISTRICT OFFICE (MIDO), ARE PROCESSING AN M OR D, AND WILL PURSUE AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) AS REQUIRED.