Raytheon 400A incident near Morristown, New Jersey, October 23, 2000
On October 23, 2000 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Raytheon 400A, registered N792TA, was involved in an incident near Morristown, New Jersey. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of several relays on the roll trim control printed circuit board, which caused an uncommanded aileron trim input.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2000 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Morristown, New Jersey
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon 400A
- Registration
- N792TA · no longer on the register · serial RK-264
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a descent in preparation for landing, the left wing of the airplane experienced an uncommanded aileron trim input to the up position. Attempts to raise the right wing through the use of the roll trim select switch were unsuccessful on both the pilot and copilot sides of the airplane. The left wing continued to trim up until the left and right trim tabs were fully deflected in opposite directions requiring both pilots to physically control the airplane with full left control column input. The pilots declared an emergency and as airspeed was reduced, controllability improved and an uneventful landing was made. Examination of the roll trim control printed circuit board revealed that the relays on the board had developed a 'time lag,' causing them to stick in the closed position. As of the date of this report, the manufacturer was in the process of redesigning the circuit board.
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: 6,630 hours in all; 589 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 4,746 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 616 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 16, 2000; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-5 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA at 10:42 pm
- Destination: MMU NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from MMU, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.