Eastwind Airlines Flight 517
N221US, the aircraft involved in the incident | |
| Incident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 9, 1996 |
| Summary | Uncommanded rudder hardover |
| Site | Richmond International Airport, Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-2H5 |
| Operator | Eastwind Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | W9517 |
| ICAO flight No. | SGR517 |
| Call sign | STINGER 517 |
| Registration | N221US |
| Flight origin | Trenton-Mercer Airport |
| Destination | Richmond International Airport |
| Occupants | 53 |
| Passengers | 48 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Survivors | 53 |
On June 9, 1996, while operating a passenger flight from Trenton, New Jersey to Richmond, Virginia, the crew of Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 temporarily lost control of their Boeing 737-200 because of a rudder malfunction. The crew were able to regain control and land the aircraft successfully. All 53 occupants on board the 737-200 survived with no injuries.
Flight 517 was instrumental in resolving the cause of Boeing 737 rudder issues that had caused two previous fatal crashes because it was the first flight to experience such rudder issues and land safely, allowing investigators to interview the pilots about their experience and to study the aircraft.