ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356218
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| Date: | Monday 24 February 1997 |
| Time: | 07:36 LT |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 |
| Owner/operator: | Mesa Airlines |
| Registration: | N430AW |
| MSN: | 279 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13374 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W PW123 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 45 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Rapid City, SD -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | (KRAP) |
| Denver, CO (KDEN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The captain said that he engaged the airplane's autopilot while passing through 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl). About 10 minutes later, the crew noticed illumination of a 'PITCH MISTRIM, TRIM NOSE DOWN' annunciator light. The captain attempted to trim the airplane using the manual elevator trim, but it would allow only limited movement. The crew declared an emergency, returned to Rapid City, and landed the airplane without further incident. A postincident inspection of the aft fuselage compartment revealed that one of the two master links (which held the chain and cable assembly to the electric elevator trim system) had come apart. The chain had subsequently entangled itself in the elevator trim cables. Further examination revealed that the 'C' clip (which snaps to the two posts of the master link base plate and held the master link cover plate in place) was missing.
Probable Cause: a missing 'C' clip, which resulted in the master link coming apart, allowing the electric elevator trim chain and cable to become entangled in the elevator trim cables.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI97IA074
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 20:17 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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