Air Tractor Inc AT 402A N623LA incident near Brickeys, Arkansas

Probable cause

The in-flight separation of the attachment hardware at the elevator control pushrod due to maintenance personnel's improper reinstallation of the attachment hardware.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during an agricultural application pass, the elevator control felt abnormal. The pilot chose to return to the airport and noted that the elevator control was unresponsive. The pilot attempted to maintain pitch control by using the elevator trim, but turbulence made this difficult. During the off-field landing, the airplane's nose pitched down. The pilot countered with nose-up trim, and the airplane stalled and then impacted the ground, which resulted in minor damage to the propeller.

A postincident examination revealed that the attachment hardware, including the bolt and nut, at the elevator pushrod had separated. Maintenance had been performed on the elevator control pushrod about 20 hours before the incident flight, and the bolt and nut would have been removed and reinstalled during this maintenance. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly reinstall the attachment hardware after performing the maintenance.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15IA200 for the full record.