What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 12, 2014, Cessna model T182T, N93CL, experienced a heavy nose down situation after takeoff and an emergency landing was executed by the pilot at the st. Louis Downtown airport (cps), Cahokia, Illinois. The pilot and copilot were not injured, the airplane was not damaged. The flight was scheduled for a post maintenance check flight after an annual inspection was performed by helicopters inc. repair station (ddza). The pilot reported that after takeoff and the airplane reached approximately 400 feet above ground level (AGL), the nose down control forces became extreme. The pilot and copilot had to maintain hard aft force on the yoke to keep the nose of the airplane from pitching down. The elevator pitch control indicated that it was nearly in the full nose up trim position. The pilot applied nose down trim using the electric trim on the control yoke. The nose down control forces lessened and the pilot landed at cps without incident. Helicopters inc. repair station (DDZR151D) inspected the trim system after the occurrence and discovered the trim cables leading to the elevator trim actuator were reversed, which resulted in reverse elevator trim control. This office has opened an enforcement investigation and shall seek appropriate action.
James silliman, is NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic). Mr. Silliman has informed our office that this occurrence will be documented as an incident although there was no damage to the aircraft. The NTSB incident number is CEN15IA079.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 12, 2014, CESSNA MODEL T182T, N93CL, EXPERIENCED A HEAVY NOSE DOWN SITUATION AFTER TAKEOFF AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED BY THE PILOT AT THE ST. LOUIS DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (CPS), CAHOKIA, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT AND COPILOT WERE NOT INJURED, THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A POST MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY HELICOPTERS INC. REPAIR STATION (DDZA). THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF AND THE AIRPLANE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE NOSE DOWN CONTROL FORCES BECAME EXTREME. THE PILOT AND COPILOT HAD TO MAINTAIN HARD AFT FORCE ON THE YOKE TO KEEP THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE FROM PITCHING DOWN. THE ELEVATOR PITCH CONTROL INDICATED THAT IT WAS NEARLY IN THE FULL NOSE UP TRIM POSITION. THE PILOT APPLIED NOSE DOWN TRIM USING THE ELECTRIC TRIM ON THE CONTROL YOKE. THE NOSE DOWN CONTROL FORCES LESSENED AND THE PILOT LANDED AT CPS WITHOUT INCIDENT. HELICOPTERS INC. REPAIR STATION (DDZR151D) INSPECTED THE TRIM SYSTEM AFTER THE OCCURRENCE AND DISCOVERED THE TRIM CABLES LEADING TO THE ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATOR WERE REVERSED, WHICH RESULTED IN REVERSE ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL. THIS OFFICE HAS OPENED AN ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION AND SHALL SEEK APPROPRIATE ACTION.
JAMES SILLIMAN, IS NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC). MR. SILLIMAN HAS INFORMED OUR OFFICE THAT THIS OCCURRENCE WILL BE DOCUMENTED AS AN INCIDENT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE NTSB INCIDENT NUMBER IS CEN15IA079.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.