# NTSB investigations, 2015: 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 ERA16LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA030.md): Hughes 369D · Marion, SC · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 30, 2015 · N920JP · Substantial damage
  > A momentary jam in the tail rotor control system from an undetermined source, resulting in a torsional fracture of the tail rotor control torque tube and a loss of helicopter control.
- [NTSB ERA16LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA015.md): Bell 206L 3 · Dickinson, AL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 15, 2015 · N206CJ · Substantial damage
  > The improper installation by company maintenance personnel of the securing hardware of a tail rotor driveshaft section, which resulted in that section of tail rotor driveshaft disconnecting and a complete loss of tail rotor thrust.
- [NTSB CEN15WA449](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15WA449.md): Trendak Tercel · Odorheiul Secuiesc City, Romania · Accident · 1 fatal · Foreign investigation · Sep 26, 2015 · A11-DUN · Substantial damage
  > This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. On September 26, 2015, at an unknown time, a Trendak Tercel gyroplane, A11-DUN, impacted terrain after takeoff from an airfield near Odorheiul Secuiesc city, Harghita County, Romania.…
- [NTSB GAA15CA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA294.md): Howard DGA 15P · Englewood, CO · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 25, 2015 · N1785H · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the elevator control system linkage at a push/pull tube and cable joint, for an unknown reason, because the bolt and associated hardware securing the joint was not found for examination.
- [NTSB CEN15FA425](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA425.md): Cessna T310Q · Wichita, KS · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 25, 2015 · N301JA · Destroyed
  > The separation of the attachment hardware connecting the elevator trim tab pushrod to the elevator trim actuator, which resulted in the elevator trim tab jamming in a position outside the limits of normal travel and a subsequent loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB ERA15LA374](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA374.md): Bell 206 · Thomaston, GA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 20, 2015 · N165BH · Destroyed
  > The loss of tail rotor control due to a fractured pin in the tail rotor control system; the reason the pin fractured could not be determined as the fractured pin was lost in shipping.
- [NTSB ERA15LA360](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA360.md): J. Schilling S-19 · East Falmouth, MA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 15, 2015 · N8DV · Substantial damage
  > The experimental airplane builder's failure to properly secure the stabilator trim tab push-pull tube’s connection, which resulted in the tube’s separation and a subsequent hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/owner's failure to detect the…
- [NTSB ERA15LA358](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA358.md): Bellanca 7KCAB · Manteo, NC · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 14, 2015 · N86705 · Substantial damage
  > The inadvertent lodging of the banner-tow cable between the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer after the pilot threw the grapple hook out the window, which resulted in the loss of pitch control and the airplane’s subsequent impact with water.
- [NTSB CEN15LA412](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA412.md): Guisinger Gary G Baby Belle · Stuart, IA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 12, 2015 · N135PA · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the tail rotor driveshaft for reasons that could not be determined due to the mechanically and thermally deformed fracture surface.
- [NTSB WPR15LA249](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA249.md): Schweizer 269C - Undesignat · Mesa, AZ · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 23, 2015 · N315TV · Substantial damage
  > The disbondment of a main rotor damper, which resulted in the degradation of its damping action and led to excessive main rotor vibrations and oscillations that caused substantial damage to the helicopter in flight and led to a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN15LA395](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA395.md): Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 · Port O'Connor, TX · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 21, 2015 · N429AR · Substantial damage
  > The fatigue failure of the tail rotor pitch change link spherical bearing housing as a result of corrosion pitting.
- [NTSB CEN15LA367](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA367.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · Wiville, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 18, 2015 · N3070R · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a utility pole while maneuvering during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in damage to the right aileron and a subsequent uncontrolled right roll at a low altitude.
- [NTSB ERA15LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA319.md): Head AX9 118 · New Holland, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 16, 2015 · N40104 · Minor damage
  > The pilot's failure to adequately secure the vent line, which resulted in the premature deflation of the balloon’s envelope and its subsequent contact with power lines. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's choice of an unsuitable landing area, which…
- [NTSB WPR15LA203](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA203.md): Beech C 99 · Salt Lake City, UT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 30, 2015 · N6199D · Substantial damage
  > The airplane’s unmanageable right yaw during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the rudder and rudder assembly did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
- [NTSB CEN15LA265](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA265.md): Bell 407 · Pecan Island, LA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 8, 2015 · N501PH · Substantial damage
  > The fatigue fracture of the tail rotor gearbox attachment studs, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor control and a subsequent hard landing.
- [NTSB ANC15LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA037.md): Dehavilland DHC-3T · Skwentna, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 4, 2015 · N3125N · Substantial damage
  > The flutter failure of the right elevator servo tab due to the improper fabrication of the servo tab and maintenance personnel’s subsequent failure to detect anomalies with the servo tab.
- [NTSB CEN15IA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15IA200.md): Air Tractor AT 402A · Brickeys, AR · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Apr 4, 2015 · N623LA · Minor damage
  > The in-flight separation of the attachment hardware at the elevator control pushrod due to maintenance personnel's improper reinstallation of the attachment hardware.
- [NTSB CEN15LA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA182.md): Air Tractor AT 400 · Levelland, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2015 · N136DB · Substantial damage
  > The in-flight separation of the left aileron's attachment hardware at the connection between the long aileron pushrod and the left aileron bellcrank. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s improper installation of, or failure to install, the…
- [NTSB ENG15WA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ENG15WA021.md): Boeing 737 - 683 · Oslo, Norway · Incident · No injuries · Foreign investigation · Mar 25, 2015 · LN-RPA · No damage
  > On March 25, 2015, at approximately 0730 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a Boeing 737-683, Norwegian registration LN-RPA, operated by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), experienced a pitch control problem while landing on Runway 01R at Oslo Airport,…
- [NTSB ANC15LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA015.md): Airbus AS350 B2 · Anchorage, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 13, 2015 · N814EH · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the ball bearing within the pitch change spider assembly due to its operation with no grease within the bearing, which resulted in the subsequent fracture of the spider assembly and a loss of tail rotor control authority. Also causal to the…
- [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 CEN15CA166](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15CA166.md): Funk B85C · Leonard, OK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 6, 2015 · N81194 · Substantial damage
  > The improper installation of the UP elevator cable turnbuckle which became disconnected during the flight.
- [NTSB CEN15CA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15CA159.md): Arnold Zodiac CH 650 · Greeley, CO · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 27, 2015 · N715AK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot was unable to maintain directional control during the landing due to the foreign object that lodged behind the rudder.
- [NTSB CEN15LA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA156.md): Agusta Aerospace AW119 Mkii · Gulf of Mexico · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 20, 2015 · N802SM · Substantial damage
  > The fracture of the tail rotor pitch change link due to excessive bearing rotational friction, which resulted from the bearings being installed in exceedance of the maximum allowable torque during the last overhaul of the pitch change link.

## 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 year(c."eventDate") = 2015
  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?year=2015

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