# Incident 20120815020589I: Cessna 560XL, Des Moines, IA, August 15, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 15, 2012, 08:30 local time
- Place: Des Moines, IA
- Airport: Des Moines International
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: JEMA
- Location: 41.5339° N, 93.6631° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5339&lon=-93.6631&mi=10
- Aircraft: N108EK (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 560XL
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW545 SER
- People aboard: 8
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 8,500 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN12IA554](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12IA554) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120815020589I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS,THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FCN AT 0815 ON 08/15/2012.THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS ARLINGTON,TX.PRIOR TO DEPARTING FCN,THE AIRCRAFT WAITED FOR A THUNDERSTORM TO PASS AND SAT IN THE RAIN FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OF CRUISE FLIGHT AT 40,000 FEET (ABOUT 35 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT),THE AUTO PILOT PITCH TRIM MIS-COMPARE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED MASTER CAUTION FLASHER.THE FAULT WAS IDENTIFIED AND MASTER CAUTION WAS CANCELLED.THE ABNORMAL CHECKLIST WAS THEN BEGINNING TO BE REFERENCED BY THE CO-PILOT IN THE RH SEAT.THE PILOT IN THE LH SEAT LOOKED DOWN AT THE AUTO-PILOT ANNUNCIATOR ON THE CENTER PEDESTAL AND NOTED THAT THE GREEN DOWN LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED.BEFORE ANY CHECKLIST ITEMS COULD BE READ,THE AUTO-PILOT DISENGAGED (ON ITS OWN) AND THE PLANE SUDDENLY NOSED DOWN TO A 20-25 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRSPEED IMMEDIATELY JUMPED 30-40 KNOTS OVER RED LINE AND THE PILOT GRABBED THE CONTROL YOKE WITH BOTH HANDS AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF ITS DESCENT.THE THROTTLES WERE REDUCED TO IDLE,AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED WITH ATC,AND THE SPEED BRAKES WERE EXTENDED. ONCE THE AIRSPEED WAS REDUCED TO BELOW RED LINE AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENT HAD STOPPED,ALTITUDE WAS NOW 33,000-34,000 FEET.THE PILOT WAS USING BOTH HANDS TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.THE CO-PILOT USED THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL TO REDUCE FWD TRIM PRESSURE.THE CO-PILOT INDICATED LATER THAT THE TRIM WHEEL WAS NOT STUCK AND FELT NORMAL WHEN MOVING IT.THE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO THE DSM AIRPORT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN12IA554](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12IA554), Aug 15, 2012: Cessna 560XL (N108EK), Des Moines, IA, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: A temporary loss of control during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postincident examination of the autopilot, pitch trim systems, and horizontal stabilizer revealed no…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.