Airship Industries AIRSHIP 600 accident near Weeksville, North Carolina, June 1, 1992
On June 1, 1992 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Airship Industries AIRSHIP 600, registered N600LP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weeksville, North Carolina (Airship Industries airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES BY REPAIR FACILITY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, THE INSPECTOR'S INADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE ACCOMPLISHED, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW DELINEATED PROCEDURES. AN ADDITIONAL CAUSE WAS THE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, IN THAT HE FAILED TO CONFIRM CORRECT CONTROL SURFACE MOVEMENT AS REQUIRED BY THE PRE-UNMASTING CHECKLIST.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1992 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Weeksville, North Carolina · Airship Industries · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airship Industries AIRSHIP 600 AIRSHIP 60
- Registration
- N600LP · no longer on the register · serial 1215-05
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRSHIP WAS BEING FLOWN ON A POST MAINTENANCE INSPECTION FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. AFTER RELEASE FROM THE MOORING TRUCK THE AIRSHIP ROSE ABOUT 150 FEET THEN PITCHED OVER. FULL AFT MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL YOKE FOR NOSE PITCH UP WAS INEFFECTIVE. THE AIRSHIP THEN COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE MOUNTED MOORING MAST WHICH PUNCTURED THE AIR BAG. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRSHIP REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES WERE RIGGED BACKWARDS. DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION THE ELEVATOR HAD BEEN REMOVED & RE-INSTALLED. THE INSPECTOR WHO SIGNED OFF THE INSPECTION PAPERS DEMONSTRATED, & STATED, THAT HIS INSPECTION PROCEDURE WAS ACCOMPLISHED ALONE. HE PUSHED ON THE ELEVATOR WITH HIS HAND TO CHECK ELEVATOR DEFLECTION. HE DID NOT HAVE A SECOND PERSON ACTIVATE THE COCKPIT CONTROL, TO ENSURE ELEVATOR MOVEMENT IN THE PROPER DIRECTION, AS REQUIRED BY THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THE FLIGHT CREW PRE-UNMASTING PROCEDURE REQUIRED THAT A GROUND CREW MAN BE USED TO CONFIRM CORRECT CONTROL SURFACE MOVEMENT.
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; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 9,100 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1992; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,195 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Porsche 930/67 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airship International
The flight
- Departed from: ECG at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:20 pm from ECG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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.