What happened
On August 4, an aircraft (registration NAN 79096) departed San Antonio, Texas, for a non-revenue flight to Miami, Florida. The crew, consisting of a captain and co-pilot, was accompanied by two passengers. The flight was conducted under VFR conditions at a cruising altitude of 10,000 feet. Prior to this leg, the aircraft had completed a ferry flight from Burbank to San Antonio, during which minor mechanical discrepancies regarding the hydraulic system and engine RPM were noted and repaired.
During the flight toward Miami, the crew encountered significant difficulties. The pilot contacted Miami tower at approximately 23:17 requesting an emergency landing. In subsequent communications, the pilot reported that the elevator control linkage had failed, leaving the crew to rely solely on trim tabs for pitch control. The aircraft was positioned over the western boundary of the airport at roughly 3,000 feet when the request was processed.
To minimize risk to the ground population, air traffic controllers suggested an approach to Runway 9R. The pilot agreed, and the aircraft began a wide, slow descent. As the aircraft approached the runway threshold at an altitude of about 150 feet, witnesses observed the nose pitching up and down with increasing violence. Finally, the aircraft dropped its left wing, the nose dipped, and the plane impacted the ground in a near-vertical orientation. The impact resulted in 4 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigation into the crash determined that the primary cause was the failure of the elevator control system while in flight. Specifically, the push-pull tube had become disconnected from its attachment point on the elevator bellcrank. This mechanical failure was attributed to poor workmanship and inadequate inspection during a recent overhaul and modification process. The aircraft had only been in service for approximately 13 hours since these maintenance procedures were completed.