What happened
On the first flight following recent painting and reassembly work, a Raytheon 800XP, registration N829LX, departed Peterborough, Ontario, bound for Buffalo, New York. During the initial climb, the aircraft reached an indicated airspeed of approximately 190 knots, at which point the crew discovered the aircraft lacked sufficient nose-down trim authority. To maintain control, the crew kept the airspeed below 190 KIAS and hand-flew the aircraft, diverting to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport for an inspection.
During the approach to Toronto, the flight crew encountered further complications when the rudder began to vibrate and seize, prompting the declaration of an emergency. The aircraft landed safely at approximately 1348 EDT with no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the maintenance performed at Rapid Aircraft Repair Inc. in Peterborough. Prior to the flight, the aircraft had undergone disassembly for paint stripping, which included the removal of landing gear doors and flight controls. While the removal of the elevator trim control rods was not mandatory, they were removed to prevent damage. The technician involved had recorded the number of turns required to remove the rods on tags to assist with reassembly.
Investigators examined the maintenance procedures and the subsequent inspection process. It was determined that the maintenance performed did not meet the required airworthiness standards. Furthermore, the independent control inspection failed to identify the errors in the control rigging.
Findings
- The elevator trim tabs were not rigged according to the aircraft maintenance manual, which caused the lack of nose-down trim authority.
- Maintenance was conducted without adhering to the airworthiness standards required by the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
- The independent control inspection was not performed according to established standards, allowing the misrigged controls to go undetected.
- Inaccurate maintenance release statements were recorded in the aircraft's documentation.
Safety action
Following the incident, Transport Canada temporarily suspended the operations of Rapid Aircraft Repair Inc. in June 2005, later rescinding the suspension after the company implemented immediate corrective measures. The company subsequently implemented a new quality assurance program, introduced a full control-travel check prior to disassembly, and began the process of implementing a Safety Management System (SMS).