- Date
- June 26, 1989, 11:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8042XDouglas DC-3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890626017629A
- Case key
- 40926
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 improper decision to ditch the aircraft when it could have been flown back to the airport using the right seat controls. Contributing factor(s) was: the failure & separation of a portion of the right aileron fabric, and the pilot's excessive force applied to the control wheel which resulted in overstressing the aileron control chain.
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
Immediately after tkof at 200-300 ft AGL, a portion of fabric sepd from the r aileron. While maneuvering the acft the plt's control wheel became free, and he elected to ditch using full rudder & differential power. Exam of the plt's control wheel aileron control chain revealed that the chain failed due to overload. The right seat was occupied by a mechanic employed by the operator and held a private plt cert with single & multiengine rating. He stated that he suggested to the plt that his controls were functioning normally, but the plt disagreed & proceeded to ditch the acft. Exam of the right control yoke revealed aileron movement in the correct direction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8042X
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19041
- Airframe hours
- 10,762
- Engine
- P&W R-1830-94, 1,350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- California Air Tours, Inc, doing business as Air Grand Canyon Yosemite
- Registered owner
- California Air Tours, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special flight (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 23, 1989 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- PSG · Petersburg, AK
- Destination
- KTN · Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- PSG · Petersburg
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
- 36
- 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 · 4,000 in this make and model · 9,300 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSG, 5 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.