Air Tahoma Convair 580 fatal crash in Ohio: NTSB Preliminary Report

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Preliminary Report containing new information about the investigation of the fatal crash of an Air Tahoma Convair 580 (CV-580) freighter in 2008. The new report supplements previously released information about the crash, and includes a transcript of the accident aircraft's Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). Among the factual findings from examination of the wreckage: the aircraft's elevator trim cables were reversed.

The accident happened just after noon on September 1, 2008, shortly after the aircraft (registration number N587X) had departed from Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), south of Columbus, Ohio, en route to Mansfield, Ohio. The aircraft impacted terrain minutes after takeoff as it was attempting to return to LCK. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all three crew members on board were fatally injured.

The new NTSB Preliminary report about the Air Tahoma CV-580 accident says that "the accident flight was the first flight following a maintenance Phase 1 and Phase 2 check, which included flight control cable rigging as part of the check. The flight was also intended to provide cockpit familiarization for the first officer and the observer, and a training flight for the first officer." The captain was a CV-580 Check Airman for employees of Air Tahoma Inc.

Possibly the most salient finding, arising from inspection of the wreckage: "The on-site inspection of the accident airplane revealed that the elevator trim cables were reversed. As a result, when the pilot applied nose-up trim, the elevator trim system actually applied nose-down trim."

The CVR transcript, included in the new report, indicates that both pilots struggled intensely, but unsuccessfully, to achieve nose-up trim in the moments before impact. At several points the CVR transcript notes "sound similar to the trim wheel motion" recorded by the Cockpit Area Microphone, until the captain declares, "there's nothing anymore on the trim." The pilots' dramatic struggle to control the aircraft proceeded for another minute and seventeen seconds, until the aircraft impacted the ground.

By the way, the accident flight was not recorded by the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The NTSB report says:

The accident airplane was equipped with a switch in the cockpit to provide power to the FDR. Selection of the FDR switch was a checklist item that required the pilots to select the FDR switch to ON.

The CVR tape indicated that the pilots skipped over the checklist item that called for the FDR switch to be selected to the ON position. The CVR recording indicated that there was no discussion between the pilots concerning the FDR switch, whether it should be in the ON or OFF position.

The panel that contained the FDR switch was not located in the wreckage.

The investigation is ongoing.

Here is the link to the Preliminary Report: NTSB ID: CHI08MA270

RELATED:

• Crew killed in Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio - Sep. 2, 2008
• Update on the Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio - Sep. 18, 2008
• Air Tahoma's Air Operator Certificate Revoked by FAA - Jan. 18, 2009

Air Tahoma's Air Operator Certificate Revoked by FAA

Aviation news website Aero-News.net is reporting that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revoked the Air Operator Certificate of Ohio-based freight carrier Air Tahoma. The move comes in the wake of an FAA audit that followed the Sep. 1, 2008 accident involving an Air Tahoma Convair 580 aircraft. The accident flight was the aircraft's first flight following a maintenance "C" check. All three crew members on board lost their lives in the accident.

Quoting Paul Turk, a senior public affairs official with the FAA, Aero-News.net reports that Air Tahoma has been charged by the FAA with "30 safety-related violations... which were 'systemic throughout the company' and 'not tied to a single pilot, aircraft or incident'." Turk reportedly told Aero-News.net that the FAA audit "found problems in most areas" of the company's operations, including lack of proper emergency equipment, and failure to properly document maintenance processes and parts swaps between aircraft.

A 96-page letter outlining the charges was delivered to the Air Tahoma earlier this week. No word on whether Air Tahoma will file an appeal.

Related:

• Crew killed in Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio - Sep. 2, 2008
• Update on the Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio - Sep. 18, 2008

Update on the Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the September 1, 2008 crash of a Convair 580 freighter owned and operated by Air Tahoma, Inc. The aircraft was completely destroyed when it impacted terrain as it was attempting to return to the Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), Columbus, Ohio shortly after departing LCK for Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD), Mansfield, Ohio. All three crew members on board -- the captain, first officer, and a company pilot sitting in the observer seat -- were killed in the accident.

According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the aircraft (registration number N587X) was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 rules (non-revenue) at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. According to the NTSB, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

Here is how the NTSB report describes the initial findings regarding the Air Tahoma Convair accident (re-pragraphed for easier reading):

The accident flight was the first flight following a maintenance "C" check, which included flight control cable rigging as part of the check. The flight was also intended to be a training flight for the first officer and the company pilot seated in the observer seat.

The flight contacted the LCK air traffic control (ATC) at 1139 for its IFR clearance. At 1147, the flight was cleared to taxi. At 1200, the flight received its takeoff clearance, and the airplane started its takeoff roll about 1203. About one minute later, at 1204, the flight contacted ATC and stated that it needed to return to LCK, and it was cleared to land on runway 5L. ATC asked the flight if it needed equipment and the flight responded, "Negative." About 1206, the airplane impacted a cornfield about one mile southwest of the approach end of runway 5L.

The inspection of the wreckage revealed that the airplane had impacted the terrain on a southerly heading. The cut through the high corn that was produced by the airplane's landing gear, fuselage, and wings indicated that it was in a slight right wing down attitude on a glide path of about 10 degrees at impact. The initial contact with the corn revealed three parallel cuts through the corn that were consistent with the landing gear being in the down position.

Both left and right propeller gearboxes separated from the engines and were found near the initial impact point. All four blades from both propeller hubs were separated from the hubs and were found throughout the wreckage path. Both propeller hubs were located about 1,250 feet from the initial impact point, the furthest wreckage found in the debris field.

The debris field stretched from about 665 feet from the initial point of impact to an abandoned set of railroad tracks within a tree line. The main wreckage was found about 160 feet south of the railroad tracks, or about 825 feet from the initial impact point.

Approximately 10 feet of the forward portion of the airplane, which included the cockpit, separated from the fuselage at impact. The portion was lying on its right side (as viewed looking forward) and was consumed by fire.

The fuselage was partially consumed by fire just forward of the vertical stabilizer between about Fuselage Station (FS) 623.00 and FS 798.

The left wing had separated from the fuselage and was about 50 feet from the fuselage. It was partially consumed by fire and pieces of the wing were found in the debris field.

The right wing had separated from the fuselage, and a part of the wing was consumed by fire lying under the cockpit section next to the fuselage. Sections of the lower right wing were found in the debris field.

Both engines had separated from the wings and were found in the main wreckage. A ground fire had consumed a swath of corn along the debris field. [NTSB ID: CHI08MA270]

The NTSB reports that both Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) were retrieved from the tail section of the wreckage and were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division for inspection. The investigation is ongoing.

Crew killed in Air Tahoma Convair 580 crash in Ohio

A Convair 580 freighter operated by Air Tahoma has crashed in an agricultural field outside of Lockbourne, Ohio killing all three crew members on board. The accident happened just after noon on September 1, 2008, shortly after the aircraft (registration number N587X) had departed from Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), south of Columbus, Ohio, en route to Mansfield, Ohio. The FAA's preliminary report about the Air Tahoma accident indicates that it was a training flight.

News reports about the accident say that minutes after takeoff, the crew had communicated via radio that they intended to return to LCK, where the aircraft was based, but did not request any emergency equipment to stand by. Shortly afterward, the aircraft struck a row of trees and crashed into a cornfield located in Pickaway County near the town of Lockbourne, where it caught fire. The aircraft was completely destroyed. An eyewitness quoted by the Columbus Dispatch said she saw no fire or smoke coming from the aircraft before it crashed.

The Columbus Dispatch, quoting the State Highway Patrol, identified the crew members who perished in the crash as Urs Anderegg, 58, and Sean Gardiner, 41, both of Miami, FL, and James Monahan, 57, of Plantation, FL. Condolences to the families, colleagues and friends of these men.