20191218017369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 525A · Scottsbluff, NE · December 18, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: December 18, 2019 · 09:00 local
Place: Scottsbluff, NE
Airport: Western Nebraska Regional Airp
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: C-G0JG
Reported as: Cessna 525A
Reported engine: Williams FS
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,083 total337 in this make and model63 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During the second leg of the day, in cruise at FL250, pilot heard a loud bang and the aircraft made an abrupt nose down pitching moment. The pilot was able to gain control after approximately 3,500 feet of altitude loss. He experienced stiff controlls, with the column further aft than normal. During the descent he slowed the aircraft at FL180 to ensure aircraft controllability for landing with flaps partially extended. He made a flatter than normal, partial flap emergency landing at kbff. Upon exiting the aircraft, he noticed the starboard side, lower half cowling had been torn off the power plant and impacted the starboard side horizontal stabilizer, causing damage to approximately 2 feet of the outer portion which was bent up at about 45 degrees, causing elevator damage, and horizontal stabilizer structural damage.

No injuries

As the FAA filed it

DURING THE SECOND LEG OF THE DAY, IN CRUISE AT FL250, PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN ABRUPT NOSE DOWN PITCHING MOMENT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3,500 FEET OF ALTITUDE LOSS. HE EXPERIENCED STIFF CONTROLLS, WITH THE COLUMN FURTHER AFT THAN NORMAL. DURING THE DESCENT HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT FL180 TO ENSURE AIRCRAFT CONTROLLABILITY FOR LANDING WITH FLAPS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. HE MADE A FLATTER THAN NORMAL, PARTIAL FLAP EMERGENCY LANDING AT KBFF. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, HE NOTICED THE STARBOARD SIDE, LOWER HALF COWLING HAD BEEN TORN OFF THE POWER PLANT AND IMPACTED THE STARBOARD SIDE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, CAUSING DAMAGE TO APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET OF THE OUTER PORTION WHICH WAS BENT UP AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES, CAUSING ELEVATOR DAMAGE, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

NO INJURIES