What happened
During the final approach phase of flight, approximately 300 feet above ground level, the aircraft experienced a critical failure of the elevator down control cable. In an attempt to manage the pitch of the aircraft type following the loss of control, the pilot utilized engine power and flap settings to maintain semi-stable flight. However, as the aircraft descended to roughly 50 feet above ground level, it entered a stall condition.
During this uncontrolled descent, the left wing of the aircraft struck the roof of a terminal building. The impact resulted in a crash landing at the site.
Findings
Investigations into the mechanical failure revealed that the elevator control cable had separated due to corrosion. While no evidence of fatigue cracking or mechanical wear was identified on the components, corrosion products were present within two inches of the separation point on both segments of the broken cable.
As a result of this incident, the operating company has initiated a fleet-wide maintenance change. The operator is replacing existing steel control cables with stainless steel alternatives to improve resistance to corrosion. Additionally, the mandatory inspection interval for these components is being reduced from 800 hours to 100 hours to ensure earlier detection of potential degradation.