Narrative:

Nov/mon/05 I went through the usual preflight procedures. I started in the cockpit and once that was complete I exited the plane and worked my way around the left wing and continued clockwise around the plane. I departed utilizing VFR and picked up flight following down to ZZZ. ZZZ1 airport took me over the top of their field at 2000 ft as they normally do. I decided to take the path to ZZZ south and east of the antennas. The tower had cleared me to land behind traffic on a 3 mi final. As I turned from a base leg to final; the plane started to buffet and quickly intensified. Prior to this time; the aircraft was operating normally. I declared an emergency with the tower and began to troubleshoot. When I visually checked the control surfaces out the rear windows on the copilot side; I could see that the elevator was malfunctioning and oscillating out of control. The tower asked if I thought I could make the runway and I said 'yes.' the landing went as well as could be expected and the tower and airport staff was extremely helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane is still being worked and stated his belief that the internal damage was some way connected to the counterweight and part of the elevator departing the aircraft. The reporter stated that the elevator structural members were sent out for x-ray inspection. The reporter indicated the FAA is investigating this incident very thoroughly but nothing on the findings has been reported; adding the airplane has always been operated in part 91 but has been maintained in part 135.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414 AT 1000 FT ON FINAL APCH DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO ELEVATOR OSCILLATING OUT OF CTL. ON GND; PLT NOTED ELEVATOR COUNTERWEIGHT AND PART OF ELEVATOR WAS MISSING.

Narrative: NOV/MON/05 I WENT THROUGH THE USUAL PREFLT PROCS. I STARTED IN THE COCKPIT AND ONCE THAT WAS COMPLETE I EXITED THE PLANE AND WORKED MY WAY AROUND THE L WING AND CONTINUED CLOCKWISE AROUND THE PLANE. I DEPARTED UTILIZING VFR AND PICKED UP FLT FOLLOWING DOWN TO ZZZ. ZZZ1 ARPT TOOK ME OVER THE TOP OF THEIR FIELD AT 2000 FT AS THEY NORMALLY DO. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE PATH TO ZZZ S AND E OF THE ANTENNAS. THE TWR HAD CLRED ME TO LAND BEHIND TFC ON A 3 MI FINAL. AS I TURNED FROM A BASE LEG TO FINAL; THE PLANE STARTED TO BUFFET AND QUICKLY INTENSIFIED. PRIOR TO THIS TIME; THE ACFT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH THE TWR AND BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT. WHEN I VISUALLY CHKED THE CTL SURFACES OUT THE REAR WINDOWS ON THE COPLT SIDE; I COULD SEE THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND OSCILLATING OUT OF CTL. THE TWR ASKED IF I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE THE RWY AND I SAID 'YES.' THE LNDG WENT AS WELL AS COULD BE EXPECTED AND THE TWR AND ARPT STAFF WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE IS STILL BEING WORKED AND STATED HIS BELIEF THAT THE INTERNAL DAMAGE WAS SOME WAY CONNECTED TO THE COUNTERWEIGHT AND PART OF THE ELEVATOR DEPARTING THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ELEVATOR STRUCTURAL MEMBERS WERE SENT OUT FOR X-RAY INSPECTION. THE RPTR INDICATED THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT VERY THOROUGHLY BUT NOTHING ON THE FINDINGS HAS BEEN RPTED; ADDING THE AIRPLANE HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPERATED IN PART 91 BUT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED IN PART 135.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.