- Date
- January 18, 1999, 12:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Clovis, NM
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N16NMBeech E90
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990118010449I
- Case key
- 45619
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
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Total failure of the elevator control cable due to a short circuit from chafing against an adjoining electrical cable, and failure of maintenance personnel to detect the problem during an AAIP phase inspection.
Analysis
The air ambulance flight was transporting a male infant in an incubator to Clovis, New Mexico. During the descent into Clovis, the control yoke moved to the full forward position. The pilot eased back on the yoke and the nose pitched up. The pilot was able to maintain control by the use of power and elevator trim, and elected to return to Albuquerque, where an uneventful landing was made. Postincident examination disclosed a drooping wire bundle beneath the pilot's seat, at F.S. 122. The insulation around the H16A10 wire (copilot's windshield heat) had chafed against the elevator down cable (part number 50-524439-31), causing a short circuit. Although the pilot did not detect the odor of smoke, the elevator cable was burnt through and had separated. No circuit breakers were opened nor were any fuses blown.
Factual narrative
On January 18, 1999, approximately 1210 mountain standard time, a Beech E90, N16NM, being operated by Seven Bar Flying Service of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was not damaged when the elevator control cable failed during initial descent into Clovis, New Mexico. The airline transport rated pilot, flight nurse, and patient were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the nonscheduled domestic passenger air taxi flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 135. The flight originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 1112.
The air ambulance flight was transporting a male infant in an incubator to Clovis, New Mexico. During the descent into Clovis, the control yoke moved to the full forward position. The pilot eased back on the yoke and the nose pitched up. The pilot was able to maintain control by the use of power and elevator trim, and elected to return to Albuquerque, where an uneventful landing was made.
Postincident examination disclosed a drooping wire bundle beneath the pilot's seat, at F.S. 122. The insulation around the H16A10 wire (copilot's windshield heat) had chafed against the elevator down cable (part number 50-524439-31), causing a short circuit. Although the pilot did not detect the odor of smoke, the elevator cable was burnt through and had separated. No circuit breakers were opened nor were any fuses blown.
Seven Bar Flying Service then grounded its remaining fleet of four E90s for an inspection. No discrepancies were found in three of the airplanes (serial numbers were above LW-156), but some chafing of the electrical cables wqere noted on a fourth airplane, N14NM (s.n. LW-35).
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
- N16NM
- Reported as
- Beech E90
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LW-62
- Airframe hours
- 10,468
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-28, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Seven Bar Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 9, 1998 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- CVN · NM
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,300 total · 65 in this make and model · 4,010 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 21 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CVN, 50 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.
Other investigations on N16NM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.