Swearingen SA-226T accident near Collegedale, Tennessee, February 28, 2004
On February 28, 2004 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-226T, registered N70FC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Collegedale, Tennessee (Collegedale Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to the inadequate grounding of the nose wheel steering clutches, as a result of inadequate maintenance inspection by other maintenance personnel to ensure the nose wheel steering clutches were grounded. A related factor was the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2004 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Collegedale, Tennessee · Collegedale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226T · all SA-226Ts on the register
- Registration
- N70FC · registry record · serial T226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed on runway 03 and began slowing the airplane down. He applied brakes and started using the nose wheel tiller for steering. The airplane veered to the right and the pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane went off the right side of the runway, collided with a ditch, and the nose wheel collapsed. Examination of the flight control system, brakes, and reverse thrust revealed no anomalies. Examination of the nose wheel steering revealed the steering clutches were not grounded, and the grounding stud for the clutches were loose. The nut was screwed on the screw about 3 turns. Pressure was applied to wire number 717-16N and a ground was obtained. When the pressure was released no ground was obtained. The left side console wiring was required to have been inspected during the last Letter Check, " B" Inspection on December 17, 2002. No work sheets for the inspection were located. Review of the logbooks revealed no maintenance had been performed in this area.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,945 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,613 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 2002; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-33-3V-303 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HAO Butler OH at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3M3 Collegedale TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CHA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N70FC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL04LA078.