- ACCIDENT DETAILS
Date: September 08, 1989
Time: 1636
Location: Skagerrak, Denmark
Operator: Partnair
Flight #: 394
Route: Oslo - Hamburg
AC Type: Convair CV-580
Registration: LN-PAA
cn / ln: 056
Aboard: 55   (passengers:50  crew:5)
Fatalities: 55   (passengers:50  crew:5)
Ground: 0
Summary: The aircraft crashed into the sea after an in-flight breakup. Severe vibration caused by worn bolts causing the rudder to jam and the tail to collapse. Bolts used to attach the fin to the fuselage were found to be counterfeit and wore much faster that genuine bolts. Official PC: The accident was caused by loss of control due to the destruction of primary control surfaces in the tail section, which, in turn, was caused by aeroelastic oscillations initiated by abnormal clearances in the vertical stabilizer attachments to the fuselage structure. The condition of the attachments was a result of excessive wear in pins and sleeves used in this structural joint. The pins and sleeves were of an inferior quality and did not satisfy specified values for hardness and tensile strength. They had also been installed and inspected using sub-standard maintenance procedures. Undamped oscillations in the elevator contributed to the structural failure of the empennage."
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