- Date
- June 3, 1988, 18:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, WI
- Injuries
- 21 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N383MQShort Brothers SD3-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880603071479I
- Case key
- 13995
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the right outboard flap position signalling cable due to chaffing initiated by improper installation/rigging by a manufacturer's vendor.
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
While on a stabilized final approach, the pilot experienced an uncommanded right roll when the flap setting was increased from five to fifteen degrees. The condition was alleviated when the flaps were reset to five degrees. Post flight inspection revealed that the right outboard flap position signalling cable had failed. Inspection of the operator's fleet found two additional aircraft with chaffed/frayed flap position signalling cables. All chaffed/frayed cables were installed on aircraft which the operator had purchased as a series. On this series of aircraft the flaps and control rigging were installed by the vendor which manufactures the wings, rather than the manufacturer of the airframe, as is normally the case.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N383MQ
- Reported as
- Short Brothers SD3-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- SH3706
- Airframe hours
- 3,413
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-65AR, 1,424 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Simmons Airlines, doing business as American Eagle
- Registered owner
- U.S. West Financial Serv. Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 26, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- MSN · Madison, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 36, 9,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSN, 1 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.