Accidents
Final Report: Maintenance errors on Beech 1900s
RAYTHEON BEECH 1900D, ALBANY, N.Y., OCT.

RAYTHEON BEECH 1900D, ALBANY, N.Y., OCT. 16, 2003–During the takeoff roll of a Beech 1900, operated by CommutAir as Continental Connection Flight 8718, the flight crew was unable to rotate the airplane and aborted the takeoff uneventfully. Examination revealed that when the elevator trim wheel in the cockpit was positioned to neutral, the elevator trim was actually in the full nose-down position. The elevator trim wheel could not be physically moved lower than three units of nose-up trim.

The NTSB said the probable cause of this incident was improper maintenance by the technician and his failure to perform a functional check, which resulted in a restricted movement of the elevator trim wheel. Factors were the captain’s inadequate preflight inspection and insufficient information in the manufacturer’s maintenance manual.