Amateur-built DHC-7-102 incident near Battle Creek, Michigan, May 15, 1984
On May 15, 1984 at about 6:10 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-7-102, registered N708ZW, was involved in an incident near Battle Creek, Michigan. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 25 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1984 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 25 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-7-102
- Registration
- N708ZW · no longer on the register · serial DHC-7-102
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT 7000 FT MSL, THE 1ST OFFICER WAS TRIMMING THE RUDDER, USING THE ROTARY SWITCH ON THE CENTER CONSOLE, WHEN HE FELT A 'SNAP' INSIDE THE SWITCH. AFTER THAT, THE SWITCH WOULD ROTATE FREELY BETWEEN THE STOPS. THE ACFT BEGAN YAWING LEFT & RIGHT UNTIL THE CREW PULLED THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO DISABLE THE RUDDER TRIM. SUBSEQUENTLY, THEY LANDED WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER TRIM. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT A CENTERING SPRING, P/N 42M4231137, WHICH LOADS THE SWITCH TO THE NEUTRAL/OFF POSITION HAD FAILED AT A FATIGUE CRACK.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,592 hours in all; 860 in this make and model; 179 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 43,500 lb
- Seats: 59
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-50 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKG Muskegon MI at 5:55 pm
- Destination: BTL Battle Creek MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:22 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 22 |
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.