NTSB: Cables Reversed in Fatal Ohio Plane Crash

Elevator trim cable reversal pushed the nose down when the pilot tried to raise it.
May 7, 2009

COLUMBUS, OH -- Federal investigators say control cables were reversed on a cargo plane that crashed last year in Ohio, killing all three crew members.

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report says elevator trim cables were reversed. As a result, when the pilot used to system to help raise the nose, it actually was pushing the nose down.

The twin-engine 1956 Convair 580 crashed Sept. 1 after leaving Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus. All three victims were from Florida. Killed were 58-year-old Urs Anderegg, of Miami; 57-year-old James Monahan, of Plantation; and 41-year-old Sean Gardiner, of Miami.

In January, the Federal Aviation Administration revoked the operating certificate of Air Tahoma, the cargo company that operated the aircraft.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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