Event MIA87FA013

1986-10-28 ST. CROIX Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

N604SS Grumman G-73 Fatal

Factual narrative

THE PLTS LOST AILERON CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE IN A LEFT TURN. THE LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES OF THE ACFT COULD NOT BE CORRECTED AND THE ACFT CRASH LANDED IN THE CARRIBEAN SEA. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THE LEFT AILERON CONTROL CABLE WAS TRAPPED WITHIN A BUNDLE OF ELECTRICAL WIRES AND CABLES. THIS OCCURRED WHEN AN ELECTRICAL CABLE FROM A REVERSE CURRENT RELAY IN THE RIGHT WING TO THE MAIN JUNCTION BOX IN THE LEFT CABIN AREA AT THE CENTER WING WAS CHANGED AND SECURED. THE AILERON CABLE CHAFED THROUGH THE PROTECTIVE COVER OF THE LARGE ELECTRICAL CABLE. WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE METAL ELECTRICAL CABLE THE AILERON CABLE ARCHED AT SEVERAL POINTS AND SEPARATED AT TWO DIFFERENT POINTS CAUSING A LOSS OF AILERON CONTROL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_MIA87FA013.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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