19940713033499I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Cape Girardeau, MO · July 13, 1994

Date: July 13, 1994 · 23:00 local
Place: Cape Girardeau, MO
Airport: Cape Girardeau Municipal
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5684Y
Reported as: Piper PA23250
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,428 total108 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N5684YRegistration cancelled Sep 15, 1994 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 272800 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250

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.

Narrative: N5684Y, a Piper, PA23-250 piloted by commercial pilot, Mr. Kenneth jay grafton was taxiing back to takeoff on runway 10. The pilot said the rudder did not feel right, so he intended to make a 180 degree turn on the taxiway and go into the ramp. During the turn the nose landing gear moved forward allowing the propellers to contact the taxiway. The cause was the nose landing gear upper drag link bolt and one side of the bolt attaching bracket broke and disconnected the drag link allowing the nose landing gear to pivot forward. Incident closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: N5684Y, A PIPER, PA23-250 PILOTED BY COMMERCIAL PILOT, MR. KENNETH JAY GRAFTON WAS TAXIING BACK TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 10. THE PILOT SAID THE RUDDER DID NOT FEEL RIGHT, SO HE INTENDED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN ON THE TAXIWAY AND GO INTO THE RAMP. DURING THE TURN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR MOVED FORWARD ALLOWING THE PROPELLERS TO CONTACT THE TAXIWAY. THE CAUSE WAS THE NOSE LANDING GEAR UPPER DRAG LINK BOLT AND ONE SIDE OF THE BOLT ATTACHING BRACKET BROKE AND DISCONNECTED THE DRAG LINK ALLOWING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO PIVOT FORWARD. INCIDENT CLOSED.