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LAX98IA097

1998-02-24 · OAKLAND, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N20FW

Make / Model
BEECH B-99
Year of manufacture
1969 · 29 years old at event
Engine
U/A CANADA PT6 SER 578HP (550 hp)
Seats / Engines
17 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19690528
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1903C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

Water accumulation in the tail section of the aircraft that froze around the elevator control cables which restricted the movement of the elevator. Contributing factors were the accumulation of debris in the limbers and drain hole for the affected area. A finding was the fact that this area cannot be easily inspected by the pilot due to the need for hand tools to gain visual access.

Factual narrative

On February 24, 1998, at 1141 hours Pacific standard time, the airline transport pilot of a Beech BE99, N20FW, encountered elevator control problems and landed safely at his destination. There was no aircraft damage or injury to the pilot, the sole occupant. The flight departed from Burbank, California, on a 14 CFR Part 135 air cargo flight to Oakland, California, and was being operated by Ameriflight, Incorporated, on an instrument flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the landing site. During a postflight inspection, ice was observed in the tail section of the fuselage in an area that surrounded the elevator control cables. The "limbers" and water drain hole that evacuate this area were found clogged with small "fuzz-like" fibers. (See the sketch in Section 10.00 attached to this report.) The aircraft encountered elevator control problems while en route and landed safely at his destination. During a post-landing inspection, ice formation was found in the tail section of the aircraft in an area surrounding the elevator control cables. The water drain hole and limbers that evacuate this area were found clogged with fuzz-like fibers. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1998_LAX98IA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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