- Date
- May 12, 1998, 02:50 local (06:50 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N617GADassault DA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980512008969A
- Case key
- 10876
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 pilot-in-command's inability to rotate during takeoff due to restricted movement of the elevator controls for undetermined reasons.
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 pilot-in-command reported that the flight controls were free during the preflight and before takeoff checks. He stated the applied power to takeoff and at Vr (125 knots) when he went to pull back on the yoke, it would not move. He stated he tried to pull back three times to no avail. The takeoff was aborted and the airplane traveled off the end of the runway into a field. Examination of the airplane failed to reveal any failure/malfunction which would have prevented normal operation of the flight controls.
Factual narrative
On May 12, 1998, at 0250 eastern daylight time (edt), a Dassault Falcon DA-20, N617GA, registered to Grand Aire Express, Inc., of Monroe, Michigan, and operated by an airline transport pilot, ran off the end of Runway 21 (5,000'x100' dry/asphalt) at the Monroe- Custer Airport, Monroe, Michigan, after experiencing a stuck elevator control during takeoff. The pilot and co=pilot were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The 14 CFR Part 135 flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot-in-command reported that the flight controls were free when they were checked during the preflight and before takeoff checks. He stated he applied power to takeoff and at Vr (125 knots) when he went to pull back on the yoke, it would not move. He stated he tried to pull back three times to no avail. At this time, he called to abort the takeoff. He stated that he reduced the power to idle and applied maximum braking while the co-pilot extended the airbrakes. He reported that the airplane rolled off the end of the runway at which time he moved the throttles to the idle cutoff position. The airplane came to rest in a farm field off the end of the runway. The pilot-in-command reported that the balanced field length was calculated to be 4,500' with V1 being 123 knots.
The airplane was examined by inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration Belleville, Michigan, Flight Standards District Office. The inspection of the airplane's flight control systems failed to reveal any failure and/or malfunction which would have resulted in the pilot-in-commands inability to apply aft pressure on the control yoke.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N617GA
- Reported as
- Dassault DA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 88
- Engine
- GE CF700, 4,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Grand Aire Express Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- TTF
- Destination
- ILN · Wilmington, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- TTF · Monroe Custer, runway 21, 5,000 × 100 ft, macadam
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,700 total · 200 in this make and model · 3,090 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TTF
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 N617GA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.