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NYC91LA232

1991-09-08 · DAYTON, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport DAY

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

A MALFUNCTION OF THE ELEVATOR TRIM INDICATOR AND INCORRECT POSITION OF THE TRIM TAB WHICH RESULTED IN THE PILOT ABORTING THE TAKEOFF AND A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON THE GROUND.

Factual narrative

DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE CAME OFF THE GROUND PREMATURELY. THE PILOT TRIED TO CORRECT BY ELECTRICALLY APPLYING NOSE DOWN TRIM, BUT DID NOT GET ANY RESPONSE. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED ABOUT 50 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND THE PILOT COULD NOT LOWER THE NOSE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE RUNWAY, VEER TO THE RIGHT, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK 3 TAXIWAY LIGHTS AND A TAXIWAY SIGN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRIC ELEVATOR TRIM INDICATOR REVEALED THAT THE INDICATOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED BECAUSE A GUIDE/LODGING PIN WAS BINDING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE INDICATOR DISCONNECTING FROM THE TRACK. THE INDICATOR WAS READING FULL NOSE DOWN, AT THE SAME TIME THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_NYC91LA232.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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