What happened
During a night maintenance ferry flight, a Hansa 320 departed from runway 26L at approximately 19:54 CST. Shortly after takeoff, radar data showed the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 900 feet MSL while traveling at 180 knots. The aircraft then began a descent and struck a river located two miles west of the departure airfield. The accident resulted in two fatalities.
Prior to the flight, the pilot had aborted an earlier takeoff attempt around 18:30 due to malfunctioning airspeed indications. Although maintenance personnel cleared the pitot tubes of obstructions, a required leak check of the pitot-static system was not conducted. The pilot performed a high-speed taxi to verify the airspeed indicators before the final departure. At the time of the accident, weather conditions included light rain, a scattered ceiling of 1,000 feet, and winds from 270 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19 knots.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed several critical mechanical and procedural failures. An inspection of the elevator trim system determined that the trim cables had been improperly installed during a recent compliance procedure for Airworthiness Directive 224-01-11. Furthermore, the maintenance manager failed to perform an operational check of the elevator trim tabs and incorrectly certified the aircraft for the ferry flight despite several unfulfilled permit stipulations.
Regarding the crew, the pilot's currency for the Hansa 320 had expired on the day of the accident. Additionally, toxicology results for the pilot showed the presence of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine known to cause drowsiness and impair cognitive and motor functions. The second-in-command lacked specific training or flight experience in this aircraft type. While the engines were found to be producing power at the time of impact, the improper installation of elevator trim cables was a significant factor in the aircraft's failure.