Cessna 560XL incident near Abbeville, Louisiana, April 8, 2011
On April 8, 2011 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Cessna 560XL, registered N547CS, was involved in an incident during enroute near Abbeville, Louisiana. It was a positioning 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pitch trim control cable failed due to fatigue, rendering the elevator trim inoperative.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2011 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Abbeville, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 560XL · all 560XLs on the register
- Registration
- N547CS · registry record · serial 560-5542
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb and approaching the assigned altitude, the captain noticed an abnormal feel in the flight controls followed by the pitch trim annunciator light coming on. The captain disconnected the autopilot and felt the airplane’s nose immediately pitch up. The captain immediately corrected for the abnormal pressure and attempted to reduce the control forces via the electric and manual trim to no avail. The captain slowed the airplane to the speed at which it was trimmed and ran the checklist for a jammed elevator trim. The captain notified his company dispatch, declared an emergency with approach control, and landed the airplane uneventfully. A postincident examination showed that the elevator trim cable had failed due to fatigue. A laboratory examination showed slight wear on the individual cable strands. The cable had been installed at the time of manufacture and had accumulated 5,445.3 total hours. Following the examination, the airplane manufacturer determined that the cable required replacement with one made of improved rope wire material and issued a service bulletin requiring owners and operators to replace the elevator trim cable with the new cable within 300 hours or 6 months from receipt of the service bulletin.
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
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Course deviation during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 17,769 hours in all; 2,271 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 9,913 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 4,068 hours in all; 456 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 957 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,346 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 9, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 22,000 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada 545b (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada 545b (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Citationshares Sales Inc.,
The flight
- Departed from: MSY New Orleans LA at 7:50 pm
- Destination: SAT San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from 0R3
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.