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19950609015699I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-151 · Greeley, CO · June 9, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 9, 1995 · 19:10 local
Place
Greeley, CO
Airport
Greeley-Weld County Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N4627F
Reported as
Piper PA28151
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
233 total4 in this make and model87 in the last 90 days
N4627FRegistered now · Piper PA-28-151S/N 28-7715057 · Built 1976Airframe modelPiper PA-28-151Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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: aircraft departed gxy for a local flight. 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noted that he could not move the elevator or aileron controls during a descent. The pilot was able to get the aircraft level and contacted the flight school where he had rented the aircraft. His flight instructor gave him several suggestions to try. However, none worked and the flight controls remained jammed. Due to darkness approaching, the pilot decided he would try to land with the help of the passenger. The flight controls were moved ever so slightly allowing the aircraft to make some sort of an approach, touching down on the NLG followed by the right main landing gear. At this point the aircraft departed the runway and stopped in the mud. The aircraft did not receive any damage. NTSB and Piper were both contacted and appraised of the problem. Piper called back on 06-13-95 and said the only place they could figure that something could jam both controls would be at the ends of the t-bar, where the sprockets are attached. Mechanic inspected this area for any witness marks or any other identification of a problem in this area, but found none. The complete floor boards were pull ed for additional inspection, but no problems were noted.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GXY FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE COULD NOT MOVE THE ELEVATOR OR AILERON CONTROLS DURING A DESCENT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT LEVEL AND CONTACTED THE FLIGHT SCHOOL WHERE HE HAD RENTED THE AIRCRAFT. HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR GAVE HIM SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS TO TRY. HOWEVER, NONE WORKED AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REMAINED JAMMED. DUE TO DARKNESS APPROACHING, THE PILOT DECIDED HE WOULD TRY TO LAND WITH THE HELP OF THE PASSENGER. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE MOVED EVER SO SLIGHTLY ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE SOME SORT OF AN APPROACH, TOUCHING DOWN ON THE NLG FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND STOPPED IN THE MUD.THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY DAMAGE. NTSB AND PIPER WERE BOTH CONTACTED AND APPRAISED OF THE PROBLEM. PIPER CALLED BACK ON 06-13-95 AND SAID THE ONLY PLACE THEY COULD FIGURE THAT SOMETHING COULD JAM BOTH CONTROLS WOULD BE AT THE ENDS OF THE T-BAR, WHERE THE SPROCKETS ARE ATTACHED. MECHANIC INSPECTED THIS AREA FOR ANY WITNESS MARKS OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFICATION OF A PROBLEM IN THIS AREA, BUT FOUND NONE. THE COMPLETE FLOOR BOARDS WERE PULL ED FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTION, BUT NO PROBLEMS WERE NOTED.