Aviation Specialties Unlimited CHALLENGER II N260HP

Summary

On 4 April 2006 at about 15:30 local time, a Aviation Specialties Unlimited CHALLENGER II registered N260HP was involved in an accident near Coushatta, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 April 2006 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Coushatta, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

32.0000, -93.3056

Aircraft

Aviation Specialties Unlimited CHALLENGER II

Registration

N260HP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coushatta → Coushatta

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06LA094

Nobody was injured.

The loss of control due to premature failure of the elevator's push-pull tube rod-end bearing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot departed the airfield for a local aerobatic flight. While performing aerobatic maneuvers, the airplane experienced a failure of the elevator control system. The 18,971-hour pilot was able to recover and maneuver the airplane to a safe altitude over an uninhabited area. Once over the safe area, the pilot elected to exit the airplane and deploy his emergency parachute. The airplane was destroyed upon impact with the ground. The elevator's push-pull tube assembly was located in the wreckage with a broken rod-end bearing. The elevator push-pull tube is fitted with two rod-end bearings, one in each end of the tube. The first rod-end bearing was unbroken, but slightly bent to one side. The unbroken rod-end bearing had the markings of FAFNIR on the side of the bearing retainer, and 2P on the side of the shank, at the base of the outer race or banjo. The second (failed) rod-end bearing's outer race was fractured in two places, leaving just the threaded shank and approximately the bottom one-third of the outer race. The top section of the failed bearing and associated parts were not located and therefore, no identification marks could be associated with the outer race. Nor were there any identification markings on the hollow shank. During load testing of similar rod-end bearings, three bearings failed at 870 pounds or less. These bearings had the markings of FEDERAL RE3ML6-2N MADE IN THE USA, on the side of the bearing retainer. Also, rod-end bearings identified as "FEDERAL" all had no additional identification marks on a hollow shaft. Rod-end bearings identified as FAFNIR all had solid shafts, and the markings of "2P" on the shank near the base of the banjo head. FAFNIR bearings used in the test all failed above 3,200 pounds. The ultimate (minimum) load requirement for the rod-end bearings is 1,500 pounds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.