Crash Reminiscent Of Charlotte US Airways Accident

NTSB investigators exploring the watery crash of a Beech 1900D off the coast of Cape Cod (MA) earlier this week say it happened with incredible speed. Paul Schlamm, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the aircraft was only seconds into the flight, the aircraft nosed down at a 30 degree angle and reached 250 kts before slamming into the water.

The Colgan Air flight was headed from Hyannis to Albany (NY) when it both descended and accelerated. Both crew members on board the flight, Capt. Scott Knabe, 39, and First Officer Steven Dean, 38, were killed. There were no passengers on board the flight. Colgan Air is a contract carrier for Express.

The Associated Press reports two of the four NTSB investigators probing Tuesday's crash are veterans of another disaster involving some of the same players. Twenty-one people died when a Beech 1900D which had just lifted off from Charlotte-Douglas veered sharply and dove into the ground on January 8th.

"Because they're knowledgeable about the North Carolina accident, they would be alert for anything that relates to the two," Schlamm said.

Telltale Signs

Investigators say three key control elements were replaced on the aircraft just the night before the Colgan Air flight went down. Both trim actuators and the forward elevator trim cable were brand new on the aircraft at the time of the crash.

In the fatal Charlotte crash, preliminary reports indicate an incorrect cable adjustment caused extreme variations in pitch. Further, initial reports in the Charlotte tragedy say the maintenance manual issued by Beech's parent company, Raytheon contained instructions on cable adjustments that were "inadequate."

In both cases, the Beech 1900Ds went down immediately upon take-off. In both cases, control issues were apparent as the aircraft broke ground. In both cases, the aircraft had just undergone maintenance.

The NTSB's preliminary report on the Cape Cod crash is due out in about 10 days.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/aviation/aviation.htm