At approximately 1550 central time, a Rockwell 690B suffered the loss of the top portion of its rudder while in cruise flight at 16,000 feet near New Braunfels. The flight landed without further incident and none of the three aboard was injured. The plot reported that the gear-in-transit light was on for the duration of the flight but he continued the flight. While cruising on autopilot, the pilot noticed the ball was not centered. He adjusted the rudder trim and a couple of minutes later the airplane began violent shaking an yawing. The airplane rolled into a 70-degree left bank and pitched 10 to 15 degrees nose-down. He recovered the airplane and continued to his destination. During the descent the ball was fully deflected to the right. Post-flight examination revealed the top eight to 10 inches of the rudder was missing, the rear of the fuselage was wrinkled and the left gear door was bent back 90 degrees.
November 01, New Braunfels, Texas / Rockwell Turbo Commander
At approximately 1550 central time, a Rockwell 690B suffered the loss of the top portion of its rudder while in cruise flight at 16,000 feet near New Braunfels. The flight landed without further incident and none of the three aboard was injured. The plot reported that the gear-in-transit light was on for the duration of the flight but he continued the flight. While cruising on autopilot, the pilot noticed the ball was not centered. He adjusted the rudder trim and a couple of minutes later the airplane began violent shaking an yawing. The airplane rolled into a 70-degree left bank and pitched 10 to 15 degrees nose-down. He recovered the airplane and continued to his destination. During the de...
Key Takeaways:
- A Rockwell 690B lost the top portion of its rudder during cruise flight at 16,000 feet, leading to violent shaking, yawing, and a severe bank and pitch.
- The incident occurred after the pilot adjusted rudder trim due to an uncentered slip/skid ball, following a flight where the gear-in-transit light was continuously illuminated.
- Despite the severe in-flight upset, the pilot successfully recovered the aircraft and landed safely with no injuries, though post-flight examination revealed a wrinkled fuselage and a bent gear door in addition to the missing rudder section.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
