Cable problems cited in Charlotte crash
From Patty Davis
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Preliminary evidence in the investigation of the crash of US Airways Express/Air Midwest Flight 5481 points to improperly adjusted elevator cables, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
The plane, a Beech 1900D, crashed 37 seconds after takeoff January 8 from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, killing all 21 people on board.
The elevators control the airplane's pitch, or up-and-down movement. The NTSB said the tension in the "up" and "down" elevator cables was off by nearly 2 inches.
Safety experts said the problem with the elevator cables -- along with the fact that the pitch was down when it should have been in a neutral position -- would have made the aircraft difficult, if not impossible, to control, particularly if weight shifted in the cargo hold.
The NTSB said there is no evidence pointing to a jam of the elevator cables.
Crash investigators have been focusing on whether maintenance of the plane's elevator cables was done properly. The plane had gone in for maintenance on its elevator area two days before the crash.
The NTSB previously said the plane had made nine flights after the maintenance work, all of which showed unusual elevator activity.
In its latest update, the NTSB said the pilots of Flight 5481 had flown the aircraft six of those nine flights. The other crews reported no problem with the flight controls after the maintenance.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday ordered emergency inspections of the elevator rigging on all planes similar to the one that crashed.
Investigators also were looking at whether the plane was too heavy and imbalanced, or if the cargo shifted during flight. In particular, investigators want to know whether the cargo hooks, which keep netting in place over baggage in the cargo hold, were attached at the time of the crash.
The NTSB said the pilots discussed the loading of the plane before takeoff. Their conversation was captured on the cockpit voice recorder.
