Casualties unknown

Horizontal Stabilizer Trim System Malfunction Prompts Return to Airport (N960CA)

Tulsa, OK, US

On March 14, 2002, a Canadair CL-600-2B19 (registration N960CA) operated by Comair Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Tulsa, OK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the horizontal stabilizer control system for undetermined reasons. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

Flight crew received STAB TRIM and MACH TRIM caution messages on EICAS after departure. Horizontal stabilizer control system would not reset. Emergency declared, flight returned and landed safely. Maintenance replaced components but no anomalies found.

Incident

Shortly after departure, the flight crew received STAB TRIM and MACH TRIM caution messages on the Electronic Information Control Advisory System (EICAS). The horizontal stabilizer control system would not reset. The crew declared an emergency, and the flight returned to the departure airport and landed without further incident.

Maintenance Actions

Company maintenance personnel removed and replaced the horizontal stabilizer trim control unit (HSTCU) and motor control unit (MCU) from the airplane. The airplane was subsequently returned to service. The HSTCU and MCU were tested and examined per manufacturer specifications. No anomalies were noted that would have contributed to the caution messages.

Investigation

The failure of the horizontal stabilizer control system was not determined.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20020326X00394. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.