# NTSB Accident LAX00GA025
> **McDonnell Douglas 500N** · 1999-10-25 · SAN JOSE, CA, USA · FATL
## Event
- **NTSB number:** LAX00GA025
- **Event ID:** 20001212X19976
- **Type:** Accident
- **Date:** 1999-10-25
- **Location:** SAN JOSE, CA, USA
- **Coordinates:** 37.339271, -121.899223
## Injuries
- **Highest injury:** FATL
- **Fatal:** 2
- **Serious:** 0
- **Minor:** 0
- **Uninjured:** 0
- **Total aboard:** 2
## Aircraft
- **Make:** McDonnell Douglas
- **Model:** 500N
- **Registration:** N904PD
- **FAR Part:** 091
- **Engines:** 1
- **Damage:** DEST
## Conditions
- **Light:** DAYL
- **Weather:** VMC
## Probable cause

The pilot's in-flight loss of control due to the failure and separation of the forward thruster control cable telescoping sleeve ball swivel fitting, which resulted in a stuck thruster and the entry into an uncontrollable yaw/spin.  Also causal was the mechanics improper maintenance actions during diagnostics to determine the cause of a yaw control anomaly in that he failed to remove an access panel over the FS113 splitter to fully and completely examine the thruster control cable.  Factors in the accident were: (1) the incomplete emergency procedures/system explanations in the RFM for a stuck thruster condition;  (2) the pilot's negative transfer of emergency procedures from the HH-60, which likely induced him to make incorrect inputs to throttle, collective, and the anti-torque controls during the onset of the stuck thruster condition; and (3) MDHI and the cable manufacturer's failure to expeditiously diagnose and correct the stress corrosion cracking problem in the forward thruster cable ball swivel fitting.

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*Source: [NTSB CAROL](https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search?source=ntsb&type=event&ntsb_number=LAX00GA025) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*