# NTSB investigations, CA: Flight control sys malf/fail

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR25LA195](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA195.md): Cessna 150F · Tracy, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jun 28, 2025 · N6744F · Substantial damage
  > On June 28, 2025, about 1420 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N6744F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Tracy Municipal Airport (TCY), Tracy, California. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14…
- [NTSB DCA25LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA174.md): Pyka Pelican · Dixon, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Mar 28, 2025 · N939NP · Substantial damage
  > The flight control system’s unanticipated transition to takeoff abort mode due to a software error in the autonomous flight control system, which resulted in a premature throttle reduction and hard landing.
- [NTSB DCA24LA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24LA206.md): Boeing 737-8 · Oakland, CA · Incident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · May 25, 2024 · N8825Q · No damage
  > On May 25, 2024, about 0744 Pacific daylight time, Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight 746, a Boeing 737-8, N8825Q, experienced a rudder control system anomaly while operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight…
- [NTSB WPR23LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA317.md): Piper PA-24-260 · Fullerton, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 8, 2023 · N503JA · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the stabilator actuator from the stabilator tab, which resulted in pitch control surface flutter and structural damage.
- [NTSB DCA22LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA22LA212.md): Airbus A330-243 · Los Angeles, CA · Incident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 22, 2022 · N393HA · No damage
  > Uncommanded movement of the trimmable horizontal stabilizer control wheel for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
- [NTSB WPR22LA340](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA340.md): Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Banning, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 10, 2022 · N242BH · Substantial damage
  > The improper attachment of the tail rotor drive shaft to the air conditioner drive pulley without a drive ring, which resulted in the failure of the hardware, a loss of tail rotor drive, and the loss of control of the helicopter followed by a hard landing and…
- [NTSB WPR22FA216](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA216.md): Cessna 336 · Porterville, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jun 18, 2022 · N3835U · Destroyed
  > Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the elevator control assembly hardware, which resulted in an in-flight disconnection of the elevator and elevator counterweight and the pilot’s inability to maintain pitch control.
- [NTSB WPR21LA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA039.md): Agusta A109 · Los Angeles, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Nov 6, 2020 · N109EX · Substantial damage
  > The loss of tail rotor control due to the separation of the tail rotor duplex bearing ring nut from the thrust sleeve, which resulted in the loss of helicopter control.
- [NTSB WPR20LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA135.md): Piper PA-23-250 · Hemet, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Apr 30, 2020 · N6521Y · Substantial damage
  > Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly inspect and replace damaged aileron control cables, which resulted in fatigue separation of the aileron control cable and loss of control of the aircraft.
- [NTSB WPR19LA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA114.md): Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 · San Diego, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Mar 15, 2019 · N101GL · Substantial damage
  > The fracture of the aileron hinge strap due to fatigue crack propagation, which resulted in substantial damage to a wing rib aft of the spar at the outboard aileron cutout. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance inspection.
- [NTSB WPR18LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA242.md): Bell 212 · Dardanelle, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 25, 2018 · N512TA · Substantial damage
  > An in-flight failure of the trunnion bearing and subsequent failure of the drive link and swashplate support, which resulted in the loss of helicopter control.
- [NTSB WPR18LA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA004.md): Western International Avia UH 1H · Arbuckle, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Oct 13, 2017 · N247PV · Substantial damage
  > A collective control malfunction for reasons that could not be determined.
- [NTSB WPR17LA201](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA201.md): Cobalt Aircraft Industries Co50 Valkyrie · Atwater, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 5, 2017 · N523CA · Substantial damage
  > A loss of aileron effectiveness due to the airplane's design configuration, which resulted in the pilot's inability to control the roll axis and led to a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR17FA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA161.md): Applegate Panzl S331E · Apple Valley, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 22, 2017 · N331ST · Substantial damage
  > A fatigue failure of the left aileron control rod end during aerobatic flight, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane.
- [NTSB WPR17CA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17CA001.md): Cessna R172K · Rosamond, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 2, 2016 · N736LZ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper use of the control lock, combined with his incomplete execution of two pre-departure procedures, which resulted in a takeoff with the control lock installed.
- [NTSB WPR16LA099](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA099.md): Bell 47G 5 · San Ardo, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Apr 29, 2016 · N6288N · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the pin in the outboard end of the lateral flight control torque tube.
- [NTSB WPR15LA126](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA126.md): Piper PA 18-150 · Merced, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 7, 2015 · N5385Y · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the flight control stick from the stub due to its improper installation.
- [NTSB WPR14LA225](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA225.md): Emery Mark Rotorway 162F · Merced, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 4, 2014 · N78291 · Destroyed
  > The helicopter pilot/owner's decision to install a belt type not recommended by the kit manufacturer in the tail rotor drive system using the incorrect tension values, which led to the belt’s in-flight failure and the subsequent loss of tail rotor drive…
- [NTSB WPR13LA238](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA238.md): Cessna 310R · Bakersfield, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 8, 2013 · N6096C · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the right main landing gear link assembly, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing during landing.
- [NTSB WPR13LA189](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA189.md): Beech 95-C55 · Santa Monica, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 12, 2013 · N153NL · Substantial damage
  > The left main wheel locking up during the landing roll, which resulted in the deflation of the tire, the left main landing gear collapse, and the subsequent loss of control during the runway exit.
- [NTSB WPR13LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA087.md): Bell OH-58C · Riverdale, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 8, 2013 · N911PT · Substantial damage
  > A flight control malfunction while maneuvering for reasons that could not be determined because it was not possible to establish whether observed damage to the flight control assembly was the result of wreckage recovery efforts or a preexisting condition.
- [NTSB WPR12LA407](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA407.md): Moore Edward R MXS · Borrego Springs, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 8, 2012 · N21MX · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inability to maintain control of the airplane following the loss of aileron and elevator control due to the forward flight control torque tube assembly’s detachment from the forward bearing. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate…
- [NTSB WPR12FA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12FA155.md): Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300 · Salinas, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 8, 2012 · N45R · Substantial damage
  > A loose portable XM-GPS antenna that migrated to the tail section of the airplane and jammed the elevator bell crank. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to account for the cockpit portable GPS antenna during preflight or postflight…
- [NTSB WPR11LA275](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA275.md): Buckeye Breeze LX · Montague, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 10, 2011 · N300DN · Minor damage
  > The unintended capture of the parachute bridle on a portion of the airframe during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a misinflated or misaligned parachute and an in-flight loss of control.
- [NTSB WPR11IA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11IA213.md): Cessna 421B · Truckee, CA · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · May 2, 2011 · N270CS · No damage
  > Fatigue failure of the right flap extend cable during the landing approach.
- [NTSB WPR10CA398](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10CA398.md): Kirkpatrick Buzzard · Lincoln, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 4, 2010 · N84BS · Substantial damage
  > A loss of control due to the mechanical disconnection of an aileron pushrod from its bellcrank as a result of the mechanic's failure to properly secure the pushrod attach hardware. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
- [NTSB WPR10LA260](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA260.md): Socata TBM · Lost Hills, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 23, 2010 · N750AB · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain the proper…
- [NTSB WPR10LA195](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA195.md): Snow Rocket F1 · Borrego Springs, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 8, 2010 · N28VS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inability to maintain control due to the in-flight failure and separation of the pilot's flight control stick. The reason for the flight control stick failure could not be determined.
- [NTSB WPR09LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA202.md): Alexander Thomas P Sportsman GS-2 · El Dorado HIlls, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 18, 2009 · N209TP · Destroyed
  > The in-flight separation of the elevator control torque tube rod end bearing from the elevator torque tube as a result of incorrectly tightened rod end bearing lock nuts.
- [NTSB LAX08LA251](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08LA251.md): Cessna TU206E · Murrieta, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 31, 2008 · N1499M · Substantial damage
  > A malfunction of the flight control system and loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB LAX08IA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08IA241.md): MD Helicopters MD 902 · Salinas, CA · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Jul 21, 2008 · N902CS · Minor damage
  > The pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to the fatigue failure of the threaded portion of the forward directional control cable as a result of the improper installation a lock washer.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'CA' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '333' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence?state=CA

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