- Date
- July 20, 2003, 21:15 local (Jul 21, 2003, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Burley, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2709QWSK PZL Mielec PZL-M-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20030720015809A
- Case key
- 57527
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's failure to remove the elevator gust lock prior to flight. Factors include the pilot's inadequate preflight.
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
In a written statement, the commercial pilot reported that he inadvertently left the elevator control lock installed. He reported that he had aileron and rudder control, but the only means of controlling the airplane's pitch was via the elevator trim, which was limited. He further stated that he was unable to lower the airplane's nose and that after initiating a turn to the left, the airplane's nose "fell through." Shortly after initiating the turn, the airplane impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway.
Factual narrative
On July 20, 2003, about 2115 mountain daylight time, a restricted category WSK-PZL-MIELEC, PZL-M-18 (Dromader), N2709Q, crashed shortly after take-off at Burley Municipal Airport, Burley, Idaho. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was being operated in visual meteorological flight conditions and no flight plan was filed for the local post maintenance flight. Impact forces and post crash fire destroyed the aircraft. The commercial rated pilot sustained minor injuries.
In a written statement dated July 29, the pilot reported that he "inadvertently left the elevator control lock on [installed]..." He reported that he had aileron and rudder control, but the only means of controlling the airplane's pitch was via the elevator trim, which was limited. He further stated that he was unable to lower the airplane's nose and that after initiating a turn to the left, the airplane's nose "fell through." Shortly after initiating the turn, the airplane impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2709Q
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Mielec PZL-M-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1Z008-01
- Engine
- Lycoming T-53, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- A-1 Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- A-1 Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- BYI · Burley, ID
- Destination
- BYI · Burley, ID
- Airport
- BYI · Burley Muni, runway 02
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 2,550 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.