OpenAirDocs.org

19980223037279I

Incident
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Beech C90 · Reno, NV · February 23, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 23, 1998 · 06:01 local
Place
Reno, NV
Airport
Reno/Tahoe International Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
MCIA
Aircraft
N236CP
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98IA096
Reported as
Beech C90
Reported engine
Garrett TPE33145
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,000 total300 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days
N236CPRegistered now · Beech B100S/N BE-9 · Built 1976Airframe modelBeech B100Engine modelAiResearch TPE331-5&6SERTurbo-prop

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.

(-5) On February 23, 1998, at 0601 hours pacific standard time, the pilot of a Beech 100, N236CP, declared an emergency due to no elevator control. The pilot returned to his departure point, made a low approach, and then landed safely at the Reno-Tahoe international airport, Reno, Nevada, with no aircraft damage or injury to the solo airline transport pilot. The flight departed from Reno-Tahoe international and was being operated as an on-demand air charter. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company flight plan had been filed. During a postflight inspection, ice was observed in the tail section of the fuselage in an area that surrounds the elevator control cables. The "limber" holes that allow water drainage from section to section in the lower fuselage structure were found plugged with fibers from abraded cargo packages. Also, the dorsal fin drain hole for the entire compartment was found plugged with the same material. (See sketch in section 10.00 of this report.)

As the FAA filed it

(-5) ON FEBRUARY 23, 1998, AT 0601 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, THE PILOT OF A BEECH 100, N236CP, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO NO ELEVATOR CONTROL. THE PILOT RETURNED TO HIS DEPARTURE POINT, MADE A LOW APPROACH, AND THEN LANDED SAFELY AT THE RENO-TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RENO, NEVADA, WITH NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE OR INJURY TO THE SOLO AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM RENO-TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AND WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN ON-DEMAND AIR CHARTER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. DURING A POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION, ICE WAS OBSERVED IN THE TAIL SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE IN AN AREA THAT SURROUNDS THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES. THE "LIMBER" HOLES THAT ALLOW WATER DRAINAGE FROM SECTION TO SECTION IN THE LOWER FUSELAGE STRUCTURE WERE FOUND PLUGGED WITH FIBERS FROM ABRADED CARGO PACKAGES. ALSO, THE DORSAL FIN DRAIN HOLE FOR THE ENTIRE COMPARTMENT WAS FOUND PLUGGED WITH THE SAME MATERIAL. (SEE SKETCH IN SECTION 10.00 OF THIS REPORT.)

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98IA096Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportReno, NVIce formation around the elevator control cables due to plugged limbers and a water drain hole.Feb 23, 1998 · No damage