Travel Air C 4000 accident near Williams, California, August 30, 2014
On August 30, 2014 at about 7:21 pm local time, a 1929 Travel Air C 4000, registered N9952, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Williams, California (Williams Gliderport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the elevator control tube due to corrosion, which resulted in a loss of elevator control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2014 · about 7:21 pm local time
- Place
- Williams, California · Williams Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Travel Air C 4000 NO SERIES, built 1929
- Registration
- N9952 · no longer on the register · serial 1150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that during takeoff, the airplane reached about 8 ft above ground level, then suddenly pitched down and descended to ground contact. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a fractured and separated elevator control tube. A viscous liquid was inside the fractured tubing. A mixture analysis found signatures for emulsifiers, surfactants, and amines, which are often found in combination in corrosion-inhibiting compounds. The tubing fracture surfaces had features consistent with torsional overstress. A cross-section of the tube away from the fracture was examined. Corrosion was observed on the inner surfaces of the control tube, as well as significant thinning of the control tube wall thickness, which was 1/2 to 2/3 of the thickness of the least-corroded sections. The thinner wall thickness resulting from the corrosion likely could not support the same loading conditions as the full wall thickness, and likely led to the overstress separation of the control tube.
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
- Aircraft structural failure during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,088 hours
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor W670 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CN12 Williams CA at 7:21 pm
- Destination: CN12 Williams CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KMYV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 17, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Materials Laboratory Report Correspondence Regarding Liquid Substance | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation with Owner Rep | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Evidence Control Form - Chain of Custody Control Tubing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Exam Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.