- Date
- February 4, 1992, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Metlakatla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N13GADe Havilland DHC-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920204001829A
- Case key
- 5686
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Total failure of the rivets attaching the trim tab control horn to the right elevator trim tab.
Analysis
While on final approach for landing, the pilot reported that the airplane's control yoke started vibrating and the nose of the airplane pitched down. The pilot corrected by re-trimming the airplane and landed without further incident. Post-accident inspection revealed that the rivets attaching the trim tab control horn to the right elevator trim tab had pulled out, allowing the trim tab and elevator to flutter.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13GA
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 179
- Airframe hours
- 6,254
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-59, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Taquan Air Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Taquan Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 1, 1992 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- KTN · Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- MTM · Metlakatla
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,607 total · 66 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N13GA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.