What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 9, 1999, at 1510 eastern standard time, a dassault-breguet mystere falcon, DA-900B, N523AC, operated by the amway corporation experienced a series of violent pitch oscillations while leveling off at 11,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) during a descent into grand rapids, Michigan. The 14 CFR part 91 flight had departed the portland international airport, portland, Oregon, at 1200 EDT en route to the kent county international airport, grand rapids, Michigan. The captain reported that at approximately 11,400 feet MSL, it appeared that the airplane was going to descend below the assigned level off altitude of 11,000 feet MSL. The first officer, who was the flying pilot in the left seat, pulled back on the airplane's yoke to initiate the level off without disengaging the autopilot. The first officer reported that when he relaxed the back stick pressure on the yoke, the airplane pitched nose down approximately 20 degrees. A series of three to four pitch oscillations occurred before the airplane was brought into control. The captain and first officer and the two passengers had their seat belts on and were not injured. The flight attendant who was in the airplane's gal ley received serious injuries. The flight continued on to grand rapids, Michigan, which was about 32 nautical miles away, and an uneventful landing was made. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder were sent to the national transportation safety board for examination. The airplane's two flight guidance computers (fgc's) were sent to Honeywell inc. in phoenix, Arizona, to obtain a readout of the data recorded within the memory of the components. (-23)see narrative CHI00FA006
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 9, 1999, AT 1510 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A DASSAULT-BREGUET MYSTERE FALCON, DA-900B, N523AC, OPERATED BY THE AMWAY CORPORATION EXPERIENCED A SERIES OF VIOLENT PITCH OSCILLATIONS WHILE LEVELING OFF AT 11,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) DURING A DESCENT INTO GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED THE PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, PORTLAND, OREGON, AT 1200 EDT EN ROUTE TO THE KENT COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 11,400 FEET MSL, IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO DESCEND BELOW THE ASSIGNED LEVEL OFF ALTITUDE OF 11,000 FEET MSL. THE FIRST OFFICER, WHO WAS THE FLYING PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT, PULLED BACK ON THE AIRPLANE'S YOKE TO INITIATE THE LEVEL OFF WITHOUT DISENGAGING THE AUTOPILOT. THE FIRST OFFICER REPORTED THAT WHEN HE RELAXED THE BACK STICK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE, THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. A SERIES OF THREE TO FOUR PITCH OSCILLATIONS OCCURRED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE WAS BROUGHT INTO CONTROL. THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER AND THE TWO PASSENGERS HAD THEIR SEAT BELTS ON AND WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO WAS IN THE AIRPLANE'S GAL LEY RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED ON TO GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, WHICH WAS ABOUT 32 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY, AND AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER WERE SENT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD FOR EXAMINATION. THE AIRPLANE'S TWO FLIGHT GUIDANCE COMPUTERS (FGC'S) WERE SENT TO HONEYWELL INC. IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, TO OBTAIN A READOUT OF THE DATA RECORDED WITHIN THE MEMORY OF THE COMPONENTS. (-23)SEE NARRATIVE CHI00FA006
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.