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LAX93IA029

1992-11-05 · MEDFORD, Oregon, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

N131AF has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD PC-12/47E, built 2021), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBE ROD END BEARING RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ELEVATOR CONTROL.

Factual narrative

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT FLIGHT LEVEL 230, THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY PITCHED UP AND THE AUTOPILOT DISENGAGED. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CONTROL YOKE. USING POWER AND TRIM CONTROL, HE FINALLY REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT SACRAMENTO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE THREADED PORTION OF THE ROD END BEARING, P/N 49261-02, HAD SEPARATED AT THE POINT WHERE THE THREADS ARE INSERTED INTO THE AFT END OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBE ASSEMBLY, P/N 40847-07. THE ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBE CONNECTS TO THE ELEVATOR PITCH HORN. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT THE SEPARATION WAS DUE TO A FATIGUE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED AT 37 HRS AND 134 HRS BEFORE THE INCIDENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN APPROVED AIRCRAFT INSPECTION PROGRAM. NEITHER INSPECTION SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED AN INSPECTION OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL TUBE ASSEMBLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_LAX93IA029.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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