Fairchild SA 227 incident near Morrisville, North Carolina, September 22, 1990
On September 22, 1990 at about 6:46 pm local time, a Fairchild SA 227, registered N619AV, was involved in an incident near Morrisville, North Carolina. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE RUDDER TRIM CONTROL ROD END.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1990 · about 6:46 pm local time
- Place
- Morrisville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA 227 · all SA 227s on the register
- Registration
- N619AV · registry record · serial AC 619
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 3000 FEET ALTITUDE, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF RUDDER CONTROL FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. AFTERWARD HE COULD FEEL CONTINUOUS MOTION IN THE RUDDER THROUGH THE PEDALS, THEREFORE THE PILOT REDUCED HIS AIRSPEED FROM 180 KNOTS TO AN AIRSPEED WHICH ALLOWED FOR LESS RUDDER VIBRATION. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND THE FLIGHT LANDED SAFELY. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATIONS DISCLOSED THAT THE RUDDER TRIM TAB CONTROL ROD END FAILED IN FATIGUE. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, OTHER CONTROL FAILURES WERE REPORTED WHICH PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF AN EMERGENCY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO PREVENT THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-11U (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Amr Eagle, INC
The flight
- Departed from: RDU Raleigh NC at 6:26 pm
- Destination: RIC Richmond VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:50 pm from RDU, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 N619AV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.