What happened
During a scheduled search and rescue flight bound for Alamogordo, an aircraft experienced a catastrophic loss of control immediately following departure from Del Rio Airport. While the aircraft was in its climbing phase, it became unmanageable and struck the ground.
There were three fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft. No survivors were reported from the crash site.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified a mechanical failure within the flight control system as the primary reason for the loss of control. Specifically, the investigation determined that the aircraft suffered an uncontrolled collision with the terrain during the early stages of the climb due to a failure in the elevator assembly.
Several contributing factors were noted regarding the condition of the flight controls:
- The elevator push-pull tube was found to be broken.
- Issues were identified within the elevator assembly and its attachments.
- Evidence of previous damage to the control surfaces was present.
- The aircraft had been parked during high winds, with sustained speeds of 30 knots and gusts reaching 58 knots.
- The flight controls had not been secured or locked while the plane was stationary.