# Incident 19980319014309I: Piper PA28161, Crystal Springs, MS, March 19, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 19, 1998, 16:00 local time
- Place: Crystal Springs, MS
- Airport: Copiah Co
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.9024° N, 90.3667° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at COPIAH COUNTY (M11), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.9024&lon=-90.3667&mi=10
- Aircraft: N24TS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N24TS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980319014309I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

MECHANIC HAD STABILIZER CABLE FAIL WHILE WORKING ON THE AIRCRAFT. FAILURE AT SWAGED STUD. TYPICAL 1969 PA28161 TYPE. (.4) ON MARCH 19, 1998, ABOUT 1600 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N24TS, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, HAD AN STABILIZER CABLE FAIL DURING MAINTENANCE AT COPIAH COUNTY AIRPORT, CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE AND A MECHANIC WHO WAS WORKING ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT BEING OPERATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT WHILE WORKING IN THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, AFT OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, HE LEANED AGAINST THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES. HE HEARD A LOUD POP AND FOUND THAT THE SWAGED STUD END FROM THE LEFT FORWARD STABILIZER CABLE TO THE TURNBUCKLE HAD FAILED, SEPARATING THE STABILIZER CABLE. FAA SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORTS SHOWED TWO OTHER REPORTS OF THE SWAGED STUD END FAILING CAUSING SEPARATION OF THE STABILIZER CABLE ON PIPER AIRCRAFT. ALL THREE PIPER AIRCRAFT WITH THE FAILED SWAGED STUD END WERE BUILT IN 1979.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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