Incident Overview

Date: Monday 14 June 1999
Aircraft Type: Beechcraft A100 King Air
Owner/operator: Thunder Airlines
Registration Number: C-GASW
Location: Thunder Bay Airport, ON (YQT) – ÿ Canada
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: Stabilizer trim actuatorsStabilizer trim actuators
Investigating Agency: TSBTSB
Category: Accident
A Beechcraft A100 King Air, operated by Thunder Airlines, experienced a sudden and uncontrolled descent and impact during a charter flight from Thunder Bay Airport to Red Lake Airport. The aircraft pitched sharply, rolled to the left, descended rapidly, and came to rest in a wooded area adjacent to a railroad bed. The cabin remained intact, and all occupants escaped without injury. The aircraft sustained significant damage beyond repair.A Beechcraft A100 King Air, operated by Thunder Airlines, experienced a sudden and uncontrolled descent and impact during a charter flight from Thunder Bay Airport to Red Lake Airport. The aircraft pitched sharply, rolled to the left, descended rapidly, and came to rest in a wooded area adjacent to a railroad bed. The cabin remained intact, and all occupants escaped without injury. The aircraft sustained significant damage beyond repair.

Description

The Thunder Airlines Beechcraft A100 King Air took off at 10:34 on a charter flight from Thunder Bay Airport, ON (YQT), for Red Lake Airport, ON (YRL), with two pilots and three passengers on board. After getting airborne, the aircraft pitched up to approximately 70 degrees, reaching a height estimated to be between 500 and 700 feet above ground level. It then rolled to the left, pitched steeply nose-down, and descended to the ground within the confines of the airport. The aircraft contacted the soft, level ground in a relatively level attitude and covered a distance of about 500 feet before coming to rest in a wooded area immediately beyond an elevated railroad bed and track. The cabin remained intact during the crash sequence, and all occupants escaped without any injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. An ensuing fuel-fed fire was rapidly extinguished by airport emergency response services (ERS) personnel. Causes and Contributing Factors: The flight crew lost pitch control of the aircraft on take-off when the stabilizer trim actuators became disconnected because they had not been properly reinstalled by the AME during maintenance work conducted before the flight. The crew chief responsible for the inspection did not ensure correct assembly of the stabilizer trim actuators, which contributed to the accident.

Primary Cause

Loss of pitch control due to improperly installed stabilizer trim actuators, resulting from inadequate maintenance work prior to the flight.Loss of pitch control due to improperly installed stabilizer trim actuators, resulting from inadequate maintenance work prior to the flight.

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