N580QS

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 26, 2014, about 1521 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 560XL airplane, N580QS, lost rudder authority when the airplane's rudder was bound during landing at the Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), near Traverse City, Michigan. The airplane was landed without further incident and was undamaged. The two pilots and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to and fractionally operated by Netjets Sales Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91K as a business flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), near Sarasota, Florida, about 1210, and was destined for TVC.

According to the operator, the incident crew picked up the airplane March 25, 2014, at the Dulles International Airport (IAD), near Washington, DC. The crew was assigned to a revenue flight from IAD to the Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), near Mobile, Alabama. Prior to departing IAD, the airplane was de-iced with 34 gallons of Type I and 26 gallons of Type 4 deicing fluid. The flight from IAD to MOB was conducted at flight level (FL) 400 and lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes. That flight was uneventful and no rudder anomalies were noted. While the airplane was on the ground at MOB, weather reports indicated clear skies and no precipitation.

The crew repositioned the airplane from MOB to SRQ. The flight from MOB to SRQ was conducted at FL 330 and lasted 1 hours and 11 minutes. The flight was uneventful and no rudder anomalies were noted. The airplane remained overnight at SRQ. While the airplane was on the ground in SRQ, weather reports indicated clear skies and no precipitation.

The next day, the crew initiated the incident flight from SRQ to TVC. The flight was conducted at FL 400 and lasted 3 hours and 17 minutes. The flight to TVC was uneventful until landing. The auto-pilot and yaw damper were turned off on final approach and the flying pilot (right seat pilot) noted the rudder pedals were hard or frozen during the landing. He was able to make an uneventful landing. Once safely on the runway, the flight controls were passed to the non-flying pilot (left seat pilot) to confirm the rudder pedal situation. The non-flying pilot confirmed the hard or frozen pedals. Once slowed to a safe speed, the rudder pedals were freed enough for the crew to be able to taxi to the ramp without further issues or assistance. After parking, the rudder still felt stiff and required more input that normal to operate. Once the airplane was powered down, the rudders pedals still had the same stiffness that was noted during the taxi. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONLeft Seat Pilot Information

He held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating, which included commercial privileges for single-engine land and sea airplanes. He held a flight instructor certificate with single and multiengine and instrument airplane ratings. The left seat pilot held CE-500, BE-300, and CE-560XL type ratings. He also held a FAA first-class airmen medical certificate with no limitations. According to the operator's report, the left seat pilot had accumulated 4,658 hours of total flight time in the accident make and model and 4,574 hours of total flight time as pilot in command (PIC) in the accident make and model. The left seat pilot had logged 118 hours in the previous 90 days to the incident, 50 hours in the previous 30 days, and 7 flight hours in the previous 24 hours, which were all in the accident make and model.

Right Seat Pilot Information

He held an FAA airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating, which included commercial privileges for single-engine land airplanes. He had held a flight instructor certificate with single and multiengine and instrument airplane ratings. The right seat pilot held A-320, CL-65, and CE-560XL type ratings. He also held a FAA first-class airmen medical certificate with a limitation for near vision corrective lenses. According to the operator's report, the right seat pilot had accumulated 2,796 hours of total flight time in the accident make. The right seat pilot had logged 74 hours in the previous 90 days to the incident, 34 hours in the previous 30 days, and 7 flight hours in the previous 24 hours, which were all in the accident make and model. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN580QS was registered as a 2007 Cessna 560XL twin engine, transport category, turbojet airplane, with serial number 560-5741. The airplane was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B turbofan engines. Each engine was rated to produce 3,400 pounds of thrust. According to the operator's report, the airplane was configured to seat two flight crewmembers and seven passengers. It also indicated that the airplane's maximum takeoff weight was 20,400 pounds and its weight at the time of the incident was 15,487 pounds. The incident airplane was maintained on an approved aircraft inspection program. The last inspection was completed on March 1, 2014. The airframe had a total time of 5,183 hours at the time of that inspection.

Dual flight controls are provided consisting of control wheel columns, adjustable rudder pedals, brakes, and mechanical nose wheel steering. Pushrod, bellcrank, sector, and cable systems are used to actuate the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. Corrosion resistant stainless steel cables are used in all primary and secondary systems. An integral control lock is provided for the ailerons, elevators, rudder and throttles. Trim wheels installed on the pedestal control mechanical trim tabs on the left aileron, the elevators, and a servo/trim tab on the rudder. The nose gear uses a single wheel, chined tire assembly and an oil over air strut. The nose gear is mechanically steered by the rudder pedals to 20 degrees either side of center.

The rudder control passes through the fuselage skin at fuselage station (FS) 153.00 and left buttocks line (LBL) 6.580 as a torque tube and then transitions to a dual cable sector system, with an inboard and outboard set of cables. The inboard upper cable run forward and aft at approximately LBL 3.72. The inboard lower cable runs forward and aft at approximately LBL 3.77. The outboard upper cable runs forward and aft at approximately LBL 9.62. The lower cable runs forward and aft at approximately LBL 9.67. The cables run aft to approximately FS 379.0 where they split. The upper cables turn and run up to the upper section of the aft fuselage and then aft to the rudder. The lower cables continue aft to the rudder.

The overboard drain tube for the forward refreshment center passes through the fuselage skin at FS 176.5 and LBL 8.98. The drain tube is equipped with a valve and a heating element with a foam insulation covering. The drain tube heating element is connected to the pitot heat system. The refreshment drain tube valve is designed to be closed in-flight.

According to the manufacturer, a layout of the cable run and the drain tube revealed that the clearance between the tube and the upper cable is .389 inches and the lower cable and the tube is .441 inches. The drain tube insulation, part number S2958-7, has a wall thickness of .50 inches, which would indicate interference between the cable and the insulation, however the insulation is held in place with two S2357-1 clamps which compresses the insulation to provide clearance.

The airplane's maintenance manual prescribed a 96 calendar month inspection interval of the drain tube area. However, the maintenance manual does not specify that the drain tube nor its heater be inspected. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1453, the recorded weather at TVC was: Wind 210 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition few clouds at 4,200 feet, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet; temperature -2 degrees C; dew point -13 degrees C; altimeter 30.16 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONN580QS was registered as a 2007 Cessna 560XL twin engine, transport category, turbojet airplane, with serial number 560-5741. The airplane was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B turbofan engines. Each engine was rated to produce 3,400 pounds of thrust. According to the operator's report, the airplane was configured to seat two flight crewmembers and seven passengers. It also indicated that the airplane's maximum takeoff weight was 20,400 pounds and its weight at the time of the incident was 15,487 pounds. The incident airplane was maintained on an approved aircraft inspection program. The last inspection was completed on March 1, 2014. The airframe had a total time of 5,183 hours at the time of that inspection.

Dual flight controls are provided consisting of control wheel columns, adjustable rudder pedals, brakes, and mechanical nose wheel steering. Pushrod, bellcrank, sector, and cable systems are used to actuate the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. Corrosion resistant stainless steel cables are used in all primary and secondary systems. An integral control lock is provided for the ailerons, elevators, rudder and throttles. Trim wheels installed on the pedestal control mechanical trim tabs on the left aileron, the elevators, and a servo/trim tab on the rudder. The nose gear uses a single wheel, chined tire assembly and an oil over air strut. The nose gear is mechanically steered by the rudder pedals to 20 degrees either side of center.

The rudder control passes through the fuselage skin at fuselage station (FS) 153.00 and left buttocks line (LBL) 6.580 as a torque tube and then transitions to a dual cable sector system, with an inboard and outboard set of cables. The inboard upper cable run forward and aft at approximately LBL 3.72. The inboard lower cable runs forward and aft at approximately LBL 3.77. The outboard upper cable runs forward and aft at approximately LBL 9.62. The lower cable runs forward ...