19970607013589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-15 · Easton, PA · June 7, 1997

Date: June 7, 1997 · 09:15 local
Place: Easton, PA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4173H
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC97LA109
Reported as: Piper PA15
Reported engine: Lycoming O145*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 230 total127 in this make and model

N4173HRegistered now · Piper PA-15S/N 15-56 Airframe modelPiper PA-15

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.

Aircraft climbed to 1200 ft and pilot heard loud pop, lost aileron control, attempted to land, hit trees. (.4) after departure and level off, the pilot performed a shallow left turn. When he tried to level the wings, he found he had lost aileron control. By use of the rudder and power, he performed a forced landing into a field and struck trees. Post accident investigation revealed the accident flight was the first flight following an annual inspection, and that a pulley in the aileron system, located on a wing strut, was chipped, and that the aileron cable had come out of its track, and tension was lost in the aileron system.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 1200 FT AND PILOT HEARD LOUD POP, LOST AILERON CONTROL, ATTEMPTED TO LAND, HIT TREES. (.4) AFTER DEPARTURE AND LEVEL OFF, THE PILOT PERFORMED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN. WHEN HE TRIED TO LEVEL THE WINGS, HE FOUND HE HAD LOST AILERON CONTROL. BY USE OF THE RUDDER AND POWER, HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING INTO A FIELD AND STRUCK TREES. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, AND THAT A PULLEY IN THE AILERON SYSTEM, LOCATED ON A WING STRUT, WAS CHIPPED, AND THAT THE AILERON CABLE HAD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK, AND TENSION WAS LOST IN THE AILERON SYSTEM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC97LA109Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEaston, PAA failed aileron pulley which resulted in loss of tension and subsequent loss of aileron control. A factor was the failure of the mechanic to detect the failed aileron pulley during the annual inspection.Jun 7, 1997 · Substantial damage