What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Tail flutter enroute. Reduced power landed lex. To check. Tail inspecttion plated came loose. Tail skin lonerons bent. (-23) while in cruise flight, owner/pilot encountered occasional light turbulence. Two occasions initiated severe airframe vibrations, which ceased when power and speed were reduced. Aircraft diverted to lex with normal landing and no injuries. Damage was found in aft fuselage, vicinity of sta 250 to sta 272: creasing and wrinkling of skin, loss of retaining screws on an inspection plate, distortion of stringers, bending, distortion and cracks in bulkheads at sta 256.9 and 272, and skin on lower surface torn loose at sta 272. Aircraft was operated within limitations, and aircraft logbook indicates aircraft was maintained in accordance with FARS, including compliance with applicable airworthiness directives. Control flutter at the ruddervators occured. Cause is undetermined.
As the FAA filed it
TAIL FLUTTER ENROUTE. REDUCED POWER LANDED LEX. TO CHECK. TAIL INSPECTTION PLATED CAME LOOSE. TAIL SKIN LONERONS BENT. (-23) WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, OWNER/PILOT ENCOUNTERED OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURBULENCE. TWO OCCASIONS INITIATED SEVERE AIRFRAME VIBRATIONS, WHICH CEASED WHEN POWER AND SPEED WERE REDUCED. AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO LEX WITH NORMAL LANDING AND NO INJURIES. DAMAGE WAS FOUND IN AFT FUSELAGE, VICINITY OF STA 250 TO STA 272: CREASING AND WRINKLING OF SKIN, LOSS OF RETAINING SCREWS ON AN INSPECTION PLATE, DISTORTION OF STRINGERS, BENDING, DISTORTION AND CRACKS IN BULKHEADS AT STA 256.9 AND 272, AND SKIN ON LOWER SURFACE TORN LOOSE AT STA 272. AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED WITHIN LIMITATIONS, AND AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK INDICATES AIRCRAFT WAS MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FARS, INCLUDING COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES. CONTROL FLUTTER AT THE RUDDERVATORS OCCURED. CAUSE IS UNDETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5985C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.