De Havilland DHC-6-200 N7267

Summary

On 20 July 1988 at about 20:08 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6-200 registered N7267 was involved in an accident near Chantilly, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 1988 at 20:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Chantilly, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Dulles Int'l (IAD)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-6-200

Registration

N7267

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Washington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO88FA067

1 person died.

THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY MISUSED THE FLAPS, BY FAILING TO SET THE FLAPS TO THE PROPER SETTING. THE FLAPS WERE SET FULL DOWN. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH UP STEEPLY AFTER LIFTOFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE FLIGHT CONTROL LOCK WAS PROBABLY INSTALLED DURING SOME PORTION, IF NOT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT, WHICH PREVENTED FLIGHT CONTROL OPERATION. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FLYING SPEED AND THE AIRCRAFT STALLED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE PILOT'S INATTENTION AND HIS FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY USE THE CHECKLIST.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION. THE FLAPS WERE LEFT FULL DOWN AFTER A POST-INSPECTION BY COMPANY MECHANICS, BEFORE THE FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THE FLAPS WERE DOWN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 19L. WITNESSES STATED THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED STEEPLY AFTER IT LIFTED OFF WITH A PITCH ATTITUDE UP TO 60 DEGREES. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 200 TO 500 FT AGL, BEFORE IT STALLED AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN IN A LEFT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT 300 FT LEFT OF AND 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE FULL DOWN. THE SCROLL TYPE CHECKLIST WAS POSITIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TAKEOFF CHECK. THE FLIGHT MANUAL RECOMMENDS A 10 DEGREE FLAP SETTING FOR TAKEOFF AND PROHIBITS FLAP FULL DOWN TAKEOFF. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS DHC-6 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FLAP FULL DOWN RESULTED IN A STEEP TAKEOFF CLIMB AND EXCESSIVE PITCH ATTITUDE FOLLOWED BY A STALL. THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL LOCK SUGGESTS IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE LOCKED POSITION DRG THE TKOF.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.