Swearingen SA227-AC N373PH

Summary

On 4 March 1997 at about 16:00 local time, a Swearingen SA227-AC registered N373PH, operated by Conquest Airlines, was involved in an incident near Abilene, Texas, United States. 12 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1997 at 16:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Abilene, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Abilene Regional (ABI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Swearingen SA227-AC

Registration

N373PH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Conquest Airlines

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Austin → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97IA120

Nobody was injured.

The flightcrew's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors were the tailwind and a partial nosewheel steering failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Landing runways were 17L and 22. The crew requested runway 35R. During the landing roll, when the first officer engaged the nose wheel steering, the airplane made an unexpected left turn. The crew applied right rudder and right brake; however, the airplane exited the runway. Winds were from the S/SW at 12 knots gusting to 24 knots. No previous discrepancies for the nose wheel steering were noted. During a postincident maintenance taxi check, the 'aircraft made a left turn that increased it's rate rapidly.' Maintenance personnel removed and replaced the #4 brake assembly, repaired a shorting wire at the nose wheel steering power lever switch, and replaced the power lever switch. The company computed a 13 knot tailwind (company limit 10 kts) and stated that skid marks on the runway 'seem to indicate a high rate of speed very late in the landing roll.' When the nose wheel steering actuator was removed and tested, no discrepancies were found. The director of operations commented that the incident 'would not have occurred had the aircraft been landed into the wind' and that 'possible inadvertent disconnection of the steering system was [a] contributing factor.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.