- Date
- December 4, 2004, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cross Keys, NJ
- Injuries
- 9 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7391UFairchild-Heliporter Pilatus PC6/B2-H2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-17
- Case key
- 60714
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
A total failure of the left elevator attachment point 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
About 5 minutes after takeoff, the left elevator partially separated, and fluttered for about 15-20 seconds. During that time, the pilot had difficulty controlling the airplane. The left elevator then completely separated, and the pilot regained control of the airplane. After regaining control, the pilot performed an uneventful landing. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left elevator separated about the mid-point of the horizontal stabilizer. The left elevator was attached to a bellcrank, secured by two 3/8-inch bolts. The bolts and elevator were not recovered.
Factual narrative
On December 4, 2004, about 1145 eastern standard time, a Fairchild-Heliporter Pilatus PC6/B2-H2, N7391U, sustained minor damage during climb from Cross Keys Airport (17N), Cross Keys, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot and eight passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local commercial skydive flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that the airplane departed on runway 27, with eight skydivers. About 5 minutes after takeoff, the left elevator partially separated, and fluttered for about 15-20 seconds. During that time, the pilot had difficulty controlling the airplane. The left elevator then completely separated, and the pilot regained control of the airplane. The pilot flew over the airport, and instructed the skydivers to jump. After the skydivers were out of the airplane, the pilot performed an uneventful landing on runway 27.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left elevator separated about the mid-point of the horizontal stabilizer. The left elevator was attached to a bellcrank, secured by two 3/8-inch bolts. The bolts and elevator were not recovered.
The airplane had been operated about 20 hours since its last 100-hour inspection, which was completed on October 8, 2004.
A review of the FAA Service Difficulty Report database did not reveal any prior similar events with the make and model airplane. However, after the incident, the pilot filed a Service Difficulty Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7391U
- Reported as
- Fairchild-Heliporter Pilatus PC6/B2-H2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2028
- Airframe hours
- 15,954
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Freefall Adventures
- Registered owner
- Aire Express LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2004 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- 17N · Cross Keys, NJ
- Airport
- 17N · Cross Keys Airport, runway 27, 3,500 × 50 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,900 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,750 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- PHL, 13 nm away