What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) This aircraft sustained high gust winds for a period of twenty hours prior to takeoff while parked with gust locks reported to be engaged while ron at jfk. Both pilots reported that there was no existing damage to the elevator on preflight inspection. The crew also reported that the gust lock was engaged upon entry into the flight deck and that all was normal while getting into position for takeoff. Takeoff was normal until aft pressure was applied to the yoke when the crew noticed the aircraft would not respond to elevator inputs. Procedures were followed for an aborted takeoff, returning to the gate without emergency equipment and commencing normal deplaning of passengers. Maintenance control was notified of the situation and upon post flight walk around inspection it was discovered that the right elevator was not responding properly to input commands while the left appeared to operate normally. Upon inspection by maintenance damage to the fairing cutout area was observed. After removing the fairing both elevator control tubes were found broken along wtih broken damaged stop fittings, elevator skin damage on the lower surface. Cvr/fdr pulled and provided to NTSB along with broken parts.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THIS AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED HIGH GUST WINDS FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY HOURS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF WHILE PARKED WITH GUST LOCKS REPORTED TO BE ENGAGED WHILE RON AT JFK. BOTH PILOTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO EXISTING DAMAGE TO THE ELEVATOR ON PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. THE CREW ALSO REPORTED THAT THE GUST LOCK WAS ENGAGED UPON ENTRY INTO THE FLIGHT DECK AND THAT ALL WAS NORMAL WHILE GETTING INTO POSITION FOR TAKEOFF. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL UNTIL AFT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE YOKE WHEN THE CREW NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ELEVATOR INPUTS. PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED FOR AN ABORTED TAKEOFF, RETURNING TO THE GATE WITHOUT EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AND COMMENCING NORMAL DEPLANING OF PASSENGERS. MAINTENANCE CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SITUATION AND UPON POST FLIGHT WALK AROUND INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT ELEVATOR WAS NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY TO INPUT COMMANDS WHILE THE LEFT APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. UPON INSPECTION BY MAINTENANCE DAMAGE TO THE FAIRING CUTOUT AREA WAS OBSERVED. AFTER REMOVING THE FAIRING BOTH ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBES WERE FOUND BROKEN ALONG WTIH BROKEN DAMAGED STOP FITTINGS, ELEVATOR SKIN DAMAGE ON THE LOWER SURFACE. CVR/FDR PULLED AND PROVIDED TO NTSB ALONG WITH BROKEN PARTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.