20030509017199I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Socata TBM 700 · Hagerstown, MD · May 9, 2003

Date: May 9, 2003 · 10:32 local
Place: Hagerstown, MD
Airport: Washington County Regional
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N702QD
Reported as: Socata TBM700
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N702QDRegistration cancelled May 2, 2017 · Socata TBM 700S/N 165 · Built 2000 Airframe modelSocata TBM 700 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6 seriesTurbo-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.

(-23) The aircraft was enroute from Washington, "dulles airport" to reading, pa at 13,000 feet, during light rain. The pilot said he saw a bright flash of light and heard a loud boom. The auto-pilot and the yaw damper dropped off line, but re-engaged without any further problem. The flight continued to its destination of reading, PA, without further incident. During the post flight inspection, it was apparent that the top 8" of the rudder was missing, which included the rudder ballast weight and horn. There was a mild burn mark on one prop blade, near the tip on the back side of the blade.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM WASHINGTON, "DULLES AIRPORT" TO READING, PA AT 13,000 FEET, DURING LIGHT RAIN. THE PILOT SAID HE SAW A BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHT AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM. THE AUTO-PILOT AND THE YAW DAMPER DROPPED OFF LINE, BUT RE-ENGAGED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEM. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO ITS DESTINATION OF READING, PA, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING THE POST FLIGHT INSPECTION, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE TOP 8" OF THE RUDDER WAS MISSING, WHICH INCLUDED THE RUDDER BALLAST WEIGHT AND HORN. THERE WAS A MILD BURN MARK ON ONE PROP BLADE, NEAR THE TIP ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BLADE.