What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The airline transport rated pilot reported he was flying a dhc ii beaver N3307S in cruise condition at an altitude of 11000 ft. the flight was for the purpose of a tour around mt mckinley americas highest peak. During the climb the pilot said he felt light turbulence and told the passengers to check the security of their seat belts. At the point he leveled off for cruise flight he felt a vibration in the elevator control develop, it rapidly became worse. He said the outboard ends of the wings were literally flapping rapidly and the aircraft was shaking so bad the control column was a blur. The pilot said the control wheel was not turning that much, but the rudder pedals were going back and forth so hard and rapidly that he could not stop them with all the strength he had in his legs. He said he felt sure the aircraft was coming apart so he pulled the throttle mixture and prop back and called three maydays on the mountain frequency 122.7. He then pulled back on the column and lowered the airspeed to 50K and vibration stopped. The pilot then lowered the flaps to 15 degrees and flew back to Talkeetna at a slow airspeed without further problems.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT REPORTED HE WAS FLYING A DHC II BEAVER N3307S IN CRUISE CONDITION AT AN ALTITUDE OF 11000 FT. THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF A TOUR AROUND MT MCKINLEY AMERICAS HIGHEST PEAK. DURING THE CLIMB THE PILOT SAID HE FELT LIGHT TURBULENCE AND TOLD THE PASSENGERS TO CHECK THE SECURITY OF THEIR SEAT BELTS. AT THE POINT HE LEVELED OFF FOR CRUISE FLIGHT HE FELT A VIBRATION IN THE ELEVATOR CONTROL DEVELOP, IT RAPIDLY BECAME WORSE. HE SAID THE OUTBOARD ENDS OF THE WINGS WERE LITERALLY FLAPPING RAPIDLY AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHAKING SO BAD THE CONTROL COLUMN WAS A BLUR. THE PILOT SAID THE CONTROL WHEEL WAS NOT TURNING THAT MUCH, BUT THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH SO HARD AND RAPIDLY THAT HE COULD NOT STOP THEM WITH ALL THE STRENGTH HE HAD IN HIS LEGS. HE SAID HE FELT SURE THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMING APART SO HE PULLED THE THROTTLE MIXTURE AND PROP BACK AND CALLED THREE MAYDAYS ON THE MOUNTAIN FREQUENCY 122.7. HE THEN PULLED BACK ON THE COLUMN AND LOWERED THE AIRSPEED TO 50K AND VIBRATION STOPPED. THE PILOT THEN LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 15 DEGREES AND FLEW BACK TO TALKEETNA AT A SLOW AIRSPEED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.