On May 17, 1986, a Cessna 414 Chancellor (registration N414NY) operated by East Coast Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Atlantic City, United States of America during takeoff. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Occurrence #1: on ground/water collision with object Phase of operation: takeoff - roll/run Findings 1. (f) flight/nav instruments, course indicator - disconnected 2. (f) flt control syst, elevator control - movement restricted 3. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During takeoff roll, the pilot could not pull the control wheel back fully due to a loosened VOR indicator restricting movement. The aircraft overran the runway and struck an occupied car, resulting in injuries and one fatality.
Takeoff Sequence
During the takeoff ground run, at a speed of 95 knots, the pilot pulled the control wheel back to lift off. The control wheel would not go back more than about 2 inches, which is less than half the normal full aft travel. The aircraft reached a speed of about 105 knots and had traveled more than half of the runway length when the pilot aborted the takeoff. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft went off the runway and subsequently collided with an occupied car on a nearby street.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the left side VOR indicator had loosened from its mounting clamp on the instrument panel. It was laying against the control wheel tube behind the instrument panel, limiting the control wheel to 2.5 inches of rearward travel. The pilot stated that he removed the control lock before engine start and performed a flight control check before takeoff.
Injuries and Damage
All four occupants of the aircraft were injured. One person in the car struck by the aircraft was killed.
Probable cause
Occurrence #1: on ground/water collision with object Phase of operation: takeoff - roll/run Findings 1. (f) flight/nav instruments, course indicator - disconnected 2. (f) flt control syst, elevator control - movement restricted 3. (c) aircraft preflight - inadequate - pilot in command ---------- Occurrence #2: overrun Phase of operation: takeoff Findings 4. (c) aborted takeoff - delayed - pilot in command 5. Terrain condition - runway 6. (c) distance - inadequate - pilot in command 7. Aircraft performance - exceeded 8. (c) all available runway - exceeded - pilot in command 9. (c) judgment - inaccurate - pilot in command ---------- Occurrence #3: on ground/water collision with object Phase of operation: takeoff Findings 10. Object - vehicle
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