Swearingen SA226TC N1010Z

Summary

On 11 February 1989 at about 00:25 local time, a Swearingen SA226TC registered N1010Z was involved in an accident near Saint George, Utah, United States. 6 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 February 1989 at 00:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Saint George, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Saint George (SGU)

Coordinates

37.1804, -113.6000

Aircraft

Swearingen SA226TC

Registration

N1010Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89FA076

Nobody was injured.

MALFUNCTION OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING POPPET VALVE & INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH THE COPLT AT THE CTLS, THE ACFT BEGAN TURNING TO THE LEFT. THE COPLT CORRECTED WITH RGT RUDDER, BUT AS THE TAKEOFF CONTD, THE ACFT VEERED UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE LEFT. THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED, BUT BEFORE STOPPING, THE ACFT TURNED FURTHER LEFT & HIT A CESSNA 172 & A UPS VEHICLE, BOTH OF WHICH WERE UNOCCUPIED. THIS WAS THE 1ST FLT AFTER MAINT ON THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS. A SYS CHECK REVEALED THAT WHEN HYDRAULIC & ELECTRICAL PWR WERE APPLIED, THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS WOULD DEFLECT TO THE LEFT AT A RATE OF ABOUT ONE DEGREE PER SECOND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT WHEN MAINT WAS PERFORMED, A ONE-PIECE ARMING/POPPET VLV WAS USED TO REPLACE A TWO-PIECE VLV, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED. DRG THE INSTLN, THE SMALL PART OF THE TWO-PIECE VLV (ABT THE SIZE OF A WASHER) WAS NOT REMOVED. WHEN THE ONE-PIECE VLV WAS INSTLD PROPERLY, THE SYS OPERD NORMALLY. MAINT INSTRNS & DRAWINGS DID NOT ADDRESS THE TW0- PIECE VLV & NO INSTRNS WERE FND TO INDC THE TWO PIECES OF THE OLD VLV SHOULD BE CHGD AS A PACKAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.