What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 5, 2017, a Lockheed P2V-5F, air tanker was substantially damaged shortly after a departure from Pocatello regional airport (pih), Pocatello, Idaho. There were no injuries to the three people on board.
According to the pilot-in-command (PIC), the flight departed on its third mission to disperse fire retardant over a nearby wildfire. During the airplane?s climb, the PIC observed an uncommanded aft movement of the control yoke with a simultaneous increase in the airplane?s pitch attitude. He instructed the first officer (fo) to retract the flaps while he re-trimmed the elevator, but they were not able regain pitch control. The airplane?s varicam indicator showed a few degrees of nose down trim and did not change for the remainder of the flight. The fo attempted to adjust his trim wheel and then re-trim the airplane using the emergency varicam, but the airplane continued to maintain a pitch up attitude. He then deployed 5° of flaps at the PIC?s instruction, which reduced the elevator back pressure. The PIC subsequently jettisoned the load of fireretardant over vacant farm land and then asked the fo to declare an emergency with the tower controller while the PIC entered a shallow left turn to intercept the downwind leg for runway 21. As he made his control inputs he determined that the elevator was bound as he received little response from the elevator control.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 5, 2017, A LOCKHEED P2V-5F, AIR TANKER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED SHORTLY AFTER A DEPARTURE FROM POCATELLO REGIONAL AIRPORT (PIH), POCATELLO, IDAHO. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC), THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ON ITS THIRD MISSION TO DISPERSE FIRE RETARDANT OVER A NEARBY WILDFIRE. DURING THE AIRPLANE?S CLIMB, THE PIC OBSERVED AN UNCOMMANDED AFT MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL YOKE WITH A SIMULTANEOUS INCREASE IN THE AIRPLANE?S PITCH ATTITUDE. HE INSTRUCTED THE FIRST OFFICER (FO) TO RETRACT THE FLAPS WHILE HE RE-TRIMMED THE ELEVATOR, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE REGAIN PITCH CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE?S VARICAM INDICATOR SHOWED A FEW DEGREES OF NOSE DOWN TRIM AND DID NOT CHANGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. THE FO ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST HIS TRIM WHEEL AND THEN RE-TRIM THE AIRPLANE USING THE EMERGENCY VARICAM, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN A PITCH UP ATTITUDE. HE THEN DEPLOYED 5° OF FLAPS AT THE PIC?S INSTRUCTION, WHICH REDUCED THE ELEVATOR BACK PRESSURE. THE PIC SUBSEQUENTLY JETTISONED THE LOAD OF FIRERETARDANT OVER VACANT FARM LAND AND THEN ASKED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY WITH THE TOWER CONTROLLER WHILE THE PIC ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN TO INTERCEPT THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 21. AS HE MADE HIS CONTROL INPUTS HE DETERMINED THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS BOUND AS HE RECEIVED LITTLE RESPONSE FROM THE ELEVATOR CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.