PBA Flight 1039 was a scheduled passenger flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Tampa, Florida. Operated by an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, on December 6, 1984, it crashed upon takeoff at Jacksonville, killing all 13 passengers and crew.
Synopsis
PBA Flight 1039 was scheduled to depart Jacksonville at 6:12 PM. Thirty seconds after taking off at 6:13 PM, the flight crashed some 7800 feet beyond the runway. The horizontal stabilizer, as well as the elevators and part of the fin, had separated in flight. The airplane caught fire upon impact, and all 13 occupants were killed in the crash.
Cause
A malfunction of the elevator system was immediately suspected as the cause. After the NTSB's investigation, it was determined that maintenance had been improper on the aircraft, and that the elevator cables had been cross-linked, causing the elevators to operate in reverse, leading to a downward force when an upward force was requested by the pilots.
Aftermath
The crash was the third in six months for PBA, an airline that had been recently grounded by the FAA for safety violations. The crash shook public confidence in PBA, and bookings dropped substantially. After filing for bankruptcy, the airline was purchased by People Express in 1986.
External links
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