20180430024069A

April 30th 2018, l f Wade international airport, bermuda.

Narrative provided to the miami ifo by inspector mark jarvis, aaib (uk) accident investigator:

A brief summary of the accident and results of the investigation is given below:

The accident flight was the aircraft?s first flight after a prolonged maintenance input which included the removal of the horizontal stabiliser, elevator and rudder. The flight was intended to consist of a number of circuits and landings to refamiliarize the pilot with the aircraft. During the pre-flight inspection the pilot paid particular attention to ?full and free? Check of the flying controls. Take off was normal but the aircraft did not climb at the expected rate. During the downwind leg the aircraft showed a continued tendency to pitch nose down which the pilot was unable to correct with elevator trim. The pilot used increased engine power to counteract the pitch down tendency. During final approach the ?nose down? Forces increased and the pilot was unable to prevent the aircraft landing heavily in the grass before reaching the runway. The pilot received a broken wrist in the accident and the aircraft was severely damaged.

Photographs taken immediately after the accident showed that the elevator trim tab was in a ?nose down? Trim position. Subsequent examination showed that the elevator trim tab moved in the opposite since to the movement of the trim wheel, I.e. nose up trim wheel movement produced nose down trim tab movement. Detailed examination by the maintenance organisation confirmed that the trim tab cables had been ?crossed? As they passed through the horizontal stabiliser which resulted in the tab moving in the opposite sense.

The maintenance organisation has conducted an investigation into the event and I received their final report this morning. As a result of their investigation the maintenance organisation has introduced changes to its procedures to minimise the possibility of reoccurrence.