- Date
- February 27, 1995, 08:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, TX
- Injuries
- 13 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N369AEFairchild SA227-AC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950227035419I
- Case key
- 19265
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 failure of the misrouted rudder control cable due to improper installation during scheduled replacement to comply with an airworthiness directive.
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 flaring to land, the rudder cable for the left rudder severed due to improper routing during the scheduled replacement of the control cables in compliance with an airworthiness directive. The flight crew reported hearing a popping sound followed by the rudder pedal deflecting to the stop. Control was maintained and a normal landing completed.
Factual narrative
On February 27, 1995, at 0805 central standard time, a Fairchild SA227-AC, N369AE, experienced a flight control malfunction while landing at the Robert Mueller Airport, near Austin, Texas. The airplane sustained no damage and was operated by Conquest Airlines of Austin, Texas, under an IFR flight plan as Conquest Flight 220. The airline transport rated pilot, the first officer, and their 11 passengers were uninjured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 135 flight.
According to the operator, the crew reported that during the landing flare on runway 13R, they heard a popping sound followed by the rudder pedal deflecting to the stop while they cross- controlled to maintain runway alignment. Control was maintained and a normal landing completed. The airplane taxied to the gate without further incident.
Post flight inspection of the airplane revealed that the rudder cable (part number 27-70001-071) for the left rudder had severed due to improper routing during the scheduled replacement of the control cables (A.D. 87-02-02). Company quality control personnel determined that the cable was routed outside the upper aft cable guide. The chaffing against the structure of the aircraft resulted in failure of the cable assembly. The cable had accumulated 435.9 hours since installation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N369AE
- Reported as
- Fairchild SA227-AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AC-697
- Airframe hours
- 10,427
- Engine
- Garrett TPE 331-11U, 1,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Conquest Airlines
- Registered owner
- Sterling Credit Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 8, 1995 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- TYL · Tyler, TX
- Destination
- AUS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AUS · Robert Mueller Municipal, runway 13R, 7,269 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 200 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS, 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.