Bombardier CL-600-2B19 N785CA

Summary

On 25 January 2001 at about 18:11 local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19 registered N785CA, operated by Comair, was involved in an incident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. 21 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 January 2001 at 18:11

Classification

Incident

Location

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Kent County International (GRR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bombardier CL-600-2B19

Registration

N785CA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Comair

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cincinnati → Grand Rapids

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01IA073

Nobody was injured.

The uncommanded deployment of the right flight spoiler due to the fatigue fracture of the spoiler lug.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Captain reported they were flying a visual approach following the localizer to intercept the glideslope. When flaps 45 were selected, the airplane rolled right about 15 to 20 degrees. Application of left aileron and rudder controlled the roll, and the approach was aborted. After consulting maintenance and flight operations and conducting a visual inspection, the Captain determined they had a failure of the right flight spoiler. A decision was made to land using corrected speeds per the checklist. The approach and landing were uneventful. A post-flight inspection revealed the right flight spoiler was fully deployed and the right spoiler lug had fractured and separated from the hydraulic actuator. A review of the maintenance records indicated the right flight spoiler had acquired a total of 3,987.9 cycles and 4,064 landings. Metallurgical examination revealed the aluminum spoiler lug had failed due to fatigue. Transport Canada issued an Airworthiness Directive on February 22, 2001, that required the inspection of aluminum flight spoiler lugs at 3,000 cycles, and at intervals not to exceed 500 cycles. The AD also stipulated that the installation of redesigned flight spoilers which utilized steel lugs provided terminating action to the inspection requirements. The FAA issued an AD on July 26, 2001, that required the same inspection criteria as the Transport Canada AD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.