A-94-163
NTSB Safety Recommendation — Aviation
Recommendation text
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: ISSUE A SAFETY COMMUNIQUE REGARDING THE FUNCTION, OPERATION, AND LIMITATIONS OF AUTOPILOT SYSTEMS INSTALLED IN BEECH AIRPLANES, AND THE NEED FOR STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE PRESCRIBED OPERATING AND PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE RESPECTIVE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL SUPPLEMENTS AND AUTOPILOT OPERATING MANUALS. THE COMMUNIQUE SHOULD REFER TO THE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING N766BA, N77CQ, AND N25805; OUTLINE THE ESSENTIAL NEED FOR PREFLIGHT SAFETY CHECKS; POINT OUT THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF MISTRIMMING THE AIRPLANE THROUGH PILOT-INDUCED OR OTHER ABNORMAL OPERATION OF THE AUTOPILOT-ELECTRIC TRIM SYSTEM; AND EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THOROUGHLY UNDERSTANDING THE REMEDIAL MEASURERS OR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES THAT MAY BE NECESSARY TO RESOLVE AN AUTOPILOT MALFUNCTION OR PROBLEM.
In plain language (FlightFinder summary)
Beech Aircraft Corporation is asked to issue a safety communique about the function, operation, and limitations of autopilot systems installed in Beech airplanes, emphasizing strict adherence to operating instructions. The communique should reference three specific accidents, stress the need for preflight safety checks, highlight hazards of mistrimming via the autopilot-electric trim system, and underscore the importance of understanding emergency procedures for autopilot malfunctions.
This plain-language summary is written by FlightFinder to explain the recommendation above. It is not the official wording — the verbatim NTSB text is quoted above.
Details
| Status | Closed - Acceptable Action |
|---|---|
| Mode | Aviation |
| Closed | Feb 10, 1997 |
| NTSB number | LAX91FA324 |
| Addressees | Beechcraft (formerly Hawker Beechcraft) |
External links
NTSB safety recommendations are advisory; addressees are not legally required to adopt them. Source: NTSB CAROL (public domain).