- Date
- September 25, 2015, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1785HHoward DGA 15P
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150925016909A
- Case key
- 92102
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 separation of the elevator control system linkage at a push/pull tube and cable joint, for an unknown reason, because the bolt and associated hardware securing the joint was not found for examination.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was en route to his destination and three to four miles before reaching the runway, he lost elevator authority. The pilot used elevator trim and power settings to control pitch and descended over the runway. The pilot was able to level off over the runway and tried to get the airspeed to decrease. The airplane descended, impacted the runway, and sustained substantial damage to a wing strut. A postaccident examination by the FAA revealed the elevator control separated at a connection between the control cable and a push/pull tube. The tube and cable ends remained intact, and showed no signs of deformation or fatigue. The bolt connecting them was missing and not recovered for examination. According to methods, techniques, and practices in Advisory Circular 43.13B the bolt should have been secured with a castellated nut and cotter pin, and neither were recovered from the wreckage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was en route to his destination and three to four miles before reaching the runway, he lost elevator authority. The pilot used elevator trim and power settings to control pitch and descended over the runway. The pilot was able to level off over the runway and tried to get the airspeed to decrease. The airplane descended, impacted the runway, and sustained substantial damage to a wing strut. A postaccident examination by the FAA revealed the elevator control separated at a connection between the control cable and a push/pull tube. The tube and cable ends remained intact, and showed no signs of deformation or fatigue. The bolt connecting them was missing and not recovered for examination. According to methods, techniques, and practices in Advisory Circular 43.13B, the bolt should have been secured with a castellated nut and cotter pin, and neither were recovered from the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1785H
- Reported as
- Howard DGA 15P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1785
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 215
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 2015
- Departed
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 35R, 10,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 15, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 375 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.