What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
History of flight
On September 13, 2017, about 0723 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 402B twin-engine airplane, N836GW, owned and operated by f/v theresa madeline, inc. of centerville, Massachusetts, sustained substantial damage upon impact with the ground following a loss of control on takeoff from runway 24 at Nantucket Memorial Airport (kack), Nantucket, Massachusetts. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
Surveillance video recorded by kack showed that on the takeoff leg, at approximately between 50 and 100 feet above the ground, the airplane entered a series of 3 pitch down and level off oscillations. During the last pitch down oscillation, the airplane impacted the runway at a shallow descent angle.
The accident pilot provided a written statement and wrote, in part: ?I found myself fighting the flight controls to keep the aircraft from a nose down configuration. I used manual trim and rechecked that the auto pilot was disengaged. These remedies did not solve the problem and controlling the airplane was increasingly difficult along with maintaining altitude.?
Personnel information
The pilot holds a commercial pilot certificate with single, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. His first class medical certificate is dated August 12, 2017 and has a restriction to wear glasses for near/intermediate vision. The pilot estimated that he had approximately 3,800 hours of total flight experience with 3,500 hours in the Cessna 402 at the time of the accident.
Aircraft information
The 1977 model Cessna 402B, serial number 402B1242, had accumulated a total of 4,986.3 airframe hours at the time of the accident. The airplane was equipped with two teledyne Continental tsio-520-E engines. The left engine serial number 182365-73-E-R, had accumulated 956.1 hours since its last overhaul, and the right engine, serial number 182957-R, had accumulated 1185.2 hours since its last overhaul. The left engine was equipped with mccauley model 3AF32C504-C three-blade propeller assembly and the right engine was equipped with mccauley model 3AF32C87-NR three-blade propeller assembly.
Meteorological information
At 0653 eastern daylight time, the kack automated weather observation system reported the following weather conditions: wind 280 degrees at 5 knots; sky clear; mist; temperature 17 degrees celsius (c); dew point 17 degrees c; altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and impact information
Following impact with the runway, the airplane slid to a stop on the edge of the displaced threshold for runway 6. The aircraft impacted the runway approximately 4,530 feet from the departure end of runway 24 and 36 feet to the left of the runway centerline. The distance from initial runway impact to the main wreckage location was about 1,414 feet. Ground impressions, airframe deformation and video surveillance indicate that the impact angle was approximately 5 degrees nose down on a magnetic heading of 250 degrees.
Flight control continuity was established for the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. The flaps were not operated. The elevator trim tab (located on the right elevator) was found to be in the tab-up position (aircraft nose down). According to the airplane manufacturer?s specifications, the maximum tab-up travel limit (when connected) is 5 degrees. The trim tab would not move freely by hand forces and appeared to be jammed. No impact damage was apparent on the trim tab. The manual elevator trim wheel indicated that the trim was in the full nose-up trim position. Examination of the airplane?s elevator trim system revealed that moving the elevator trim wheel in either direction had no effect on the trim tab position.
As the FAA filed it
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2017, ABOUT 0723 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 402B TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N836GW, OWNED AND OPERATED BY F/V THERESA MADELINE, INC. OF CENTERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL ON TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 24 AT NANTUCKET MEMORIAL AIRPORT (KACK), NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO RECORDED BY KACK SHOWED THAT ON THE TAKEOFF LEG, AT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 50 AND 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SERIES OF 3 PITCH DOWN AND LEVEL OFF OSCILLATIONS. DURING THE LAST PITCH DOWN OSCILLATION, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AT A SHALLOW DESCENT ANGLE.
THE ACCIDENT PILOT PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT AND WROTE, IN PART: ?I FOUND MYSELF FIGHTING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM A NOSE DOWN CONFIGURATION. I USED MANUAL TRIM AND RECHECKED THAT THE AUTO PILOT WAS DISENGAGED. THESE REMEDIES DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND CONTROLLING THE AIRPLANE WAS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT ALONG WITH MAINTAINING ALTITUDE.?
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SINGLE, MULTI-ENGINE, AND INSTRUMENT RATINGS. HIS FIRST CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IS DATED AUGUST 12, 2017 AND HAS A RESTRICTION TO WEAR GLASSES FOR NEAR/INTERMEDIATE VISION. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 3,800 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WITH 3,500 HOURS IN THE CESSNA 402 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
THE 1977 MODEL CESSNA 402B, SERIAL NUMBER 402B1242, HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 4,986.3 AIRFRAME HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH TWO TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL TSIO-520-E ENGINES. THE LEFT ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER 182365-73-E-R, HAD ACCUMULATED 956.1 HOURS SINCE ITS LAST OVERHAUL, AND THE RIGHT ENGINE, SERIAL NUMBER 182957-R, HAD ACCUMULATED 1185.2 HOURS SINCE ITS LAST OVERHAUL. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS EQUIPPED WITH MCCAULEY MODEL 3AF32C504-C THREE-BLADE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY AND THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS EQUIPPED WITH MCCAULEY MODEL 3AF32C87-NR THREE-BLADE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
AT 0653 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, THE KACK AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM REPORTED THE FOLLOWING WEATHER CONDITIONS: WIND 280 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS; SKY CLEAR; MIST; TEMPERATURE 17 DEGREES CELSIUS (C); DEW POINT 17 DEGREES C; ALTIMETER SETTING 29.90 INCHES OF MERCURY.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP ON THE EDGE OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 6. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 4,530 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 24 AND 36 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE DISTANCE FROM INITIAL RUNWAY IMPACT TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION WAS ABOUT 1,414 FEET. GROUND IMPRESSIONS, AIRFRAME DEFORMATION AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE INDICATE THAT THE IMPACT ANGLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 DEGREES NOSE DOWN ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 250 DEGREES.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE AILERONS, ELEVATORS, AND RUDDER. THE FLAPS WERE NOT OPERATED. THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB (LOCATED ON THE RIGHT ELEVATOR) WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE TAB-UP POSITION (AIRCRAFT NOSE DOWN). ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER?S SPECIFICATIONS, THE MAXIMUM TAB-UP TRAVEL LIMIT (WHEN CONNECTED) IS 5 DEGREES. THE TRIM TAB WOULD NOT MOVE FREELY BY HAND FORCES AND APPEARED TO BE JAMMED. NO IMPACT DAMAGE WAS APPARENT ON THE TRIM TAB. THE MANUAL ELEVATOR TRIM WHEEL INDICATED THAT THE TRIM WAS IN THE FULL NOSE-UP TRIM POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE?S ELEVATOR TRIM SYSTEM REVEALED THAT MOVING THE ELEVATOR TRIM WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION HAD NO EFFECT ON THE TRIM TAB POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.