- Date
- March 21, 2000, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hayti, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4859QCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000321010549A
- Case key
- 48844
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 failure of maintenance personnel to properly install and connect the aileron control rod. Factors were the inadequate annual inspection by maintenance personnel and the aileron control not possible by the pilot.
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.
Analysis
The airplane had just received an annual inspection and a maintenance test flight was being performed. The pilot reported that during the flight the aileron control was ineffective. He reported that the '...right aileron appeared to be disconnected, moving up and down, [with] no response.' The pilot said that he was in a right turn and was unable to bring up the right wing. He said that he was losing altitude and decided to land the airplane on '... soft plowed ground...' The pilot said that, during the landing, the right wing struck the ground. During a postaccident examination of the aircraft, the right aileron pushrod end bearing bolt was found installed in the bellcrank, but the bolt did not pass through the rod end bearing. According to maintenance records, the aileron pushrod end bearings were replaced during the annual inspection due to excessive play. No other anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or aircraft systems.
Factual narrative
On March 21, 2000, at 1500 central standard time, a Cessna A188B, N4859Q, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the terrain during a forced landing following a loss of aileron control during flight. The 14 CFR Part 91 maintenance flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The commercial rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from the Mid Continent Airport, Hayti, Missouri about 1450 for a local flight.
The airplane had just received an annual inspection and a maintenance test flight was being performed. The pilot reported, in a written statement, that during the flight the aileron control was ineffective. He reported that the "...right aileron appeared to be disconnected, moving up and down, [with] no response." The pilot said that he was in a right turn and was unable to bring up the right wing. He said that he was losing altitude and decided to land the airplane on "... soft plowed ground..." The pilot said that, during the landing, the right wing struck the ground.
During a postaccident examination of the aircraft, the right aileron pushrod end bearing bolt was found installed in the bellcrank, but the bolt did not pass through the rod end bearing. According to maintenance records, the aileron pushrod end bearings were replaced during the annual inspection due to excessive play. No other anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or aircraft systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4859Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188-02595
- Airframe hours
- 5,138
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mid Continent Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2000 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- M28
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
- 77
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 13,362 total · 300 in this make and model · 13,362 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HKA, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.