Investigators zero in on 1900D crash

According to the NTSB, faulty maintenance contributed to the crash of an Air Midwest Beech 1900D seconds after taking off from Charlotte, N.C., on January 8, killing all 21 people aboard. At a hearing last month, the Safety Board said that during routine maintenance two days and several flights before the accident, a contract mechanic improperly retensioned control cables, possibly preventing full deflection of the elevator. The airplane pitched up into a nose high-attitude, stalled and crashed after the pilots were unable to lower the nose. Additionally, the twin turboprop may have been as much as 1,000 pounds over mtow and more tail heavy than previously thought.