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20030722018949A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 525 · Coupeville, WA · July 22, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 22, 2003 · 10:15 local
Place
Coupeville, WA
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N996JR
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA03FA147
Reported as
Cessna 525
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,450 total
N996JRRegistered now · Cessna 525S/N 525-0147 · Built 1996Airframe modelCessna 525Engine modelWilliams FJ-44 seriesTurbo-fan

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) Enroute from victoria, b.c. to boise, Idaho, a loss of elevator trim control (with an uncommanded 45 degree nose low pitch attitude) occurred while climbing from 16,000 feet for FL330 prior to reaching FL180. The pilot disconnected the autopilot, powered back to idle thrust and attempted to manually control the pitch attitude. Neither manual attempts nor electric pitch trim control inputs were successful to gain full control of the aircrafts' pitch attitude. An attempt was made by the pilot to land at the navy auxiliary airport (olf). Due to low airspeed while on base leg, the pilot elected to abort the landing and land straight in onto the water. The water landing was uneventful with the pilot and his passenger being picked up by a boat shortly after exiting the aircraft. FAA inspectors measured the pitch trim and found it to be full nose down. Aircraft records indicate that the pitch trim relay had been changed in 02-02. Further testing is scheduled to be conducted in the later part of August.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ENROUTE FROM VICTORIA, B.C. TO BOISE, IDAHO, A LOSS OF ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL (WITH AN UNCOMMANDED 45 DEGREE NOSE LOW PITCH ATTITUDE) OCCURRED WHILE CLIMBING FROM 16,000 FEET FOR FL330 PRIOR TO REACHING FL180. THE PILOT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT, POWERED BACK TO IDLE THRUST AND ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY CONTROL THE PITCH ATTITUDE. NEITHER MANUAL ATTEMPTS NOR ELECTRIC PITCH TRIM CONTROL INPUTS WERE SUCCESSFUL TO GAIN FULL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFTS' PITCH ATTITUDE. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY THE PILOT TO LAND AT THE NAVY AUXILIARY AIRPORT (OLF). DUE TO LOW AIRSPEED WHILE ON BASE LEG, THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE LANDING AND LAND STRAIGHT IN ONTO THE WATER. THE WATER LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER BEING PICKED UP BY A BOAT SHORTLY AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. FAA INSPECTORS MEASURED THE PITCH TRIM AND FOUND IT TO BE FULL NOSE DOWN. AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE PITCH TRIM RELAY HAD BEEN CHANGED IN 02-02. FURTHER TESTING IS SCHEDULED TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE LATER PART OF AUGUST.

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 SEA03FA147Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportCoupeville, WAThe loss of airplane pitch control (trim runway and mistrim condition) resulting from a failure in the airplane's electric pitch trim system. Factors that contributed to the accident were the manufacturer's inadequate design of the pitch trim circuitry that…Jul 22, 2003 · Substantial damage