38.5816° N, 121.4944° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Sacramento, CA, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
March 24, 1980 · 13:45 local
Place
Sacramento, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N82277
Reported as
Piper PA31T
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,500 total800 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Rudder trim tab came loose in flight, causing vibration and separation from aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
RUDDER TRIM TAB CAME LOOSE IN FLIGHT, CAUSING VIBRATION AND SEPARATION FROM AIRCRAFT.