Aerospatiale ATR 42-300 N421TE

Summary

On 23 July 2000 at about 22:31 local time, a Aerospatiale ATR 42-300 registered N421TE, operated by Trans States Airlines, was involved in an incident near Champaign, Illinois, United States. 37 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

23 July 2000 at 22:31

Classification

Incident

Location

Champaign, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

40.1091, -88.2396

Aircraft

Aerospatiale ATR 42-300

Registration

N421TE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Trans States Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

South Bend → Saint Louis

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI00IA221

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the aileron trim switch due to foreign material contamination.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was undamaged during a precautionary landing following a flight control difficulty while in cruise flight. The flight crew was unable to trim the aircraft for level flight. The pilot reported initially that 80 to 100 pounds of control wheel force was required to maintain wings level. Subsequently, the pilot estimated the force required as 50 to 70 pounds. The trim switch was found to be intermittent and subsequent examination confirmed this. The switch was found to be contaminated with, "... salt, dust, hairs and other organic materials." Corrosion of the switch contacts was also found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.