What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 20, 2002, at 1445 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N16319, operated by berz flying service, inc., as a rental airplane, returned from a local flight with substantial damage resulting from a crack through its vertical stabilizer spar. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private rated rental pilot was uninjured. The local flight originated from the berz-Macomb airport (uiz), Macomb, Michigan, at 1330. The 1973 airplane, serial number 28-7305224, was used throughout its service life as a rental/flight training airplane. The airplane and vertical stabilizer accumulated a total time of 13,810 hours. According to maintenance personnel, the crack was not present during the airplane s last annual inspection, which was performed 7 hours before the flight. The crack is located approximately 6 inches above the base of the vertical stabilizer and extends horizontally approximately 1 1/2 inches from the right side of the stabilizer into the 3 1/2 inch spar. Another Piper PA-28-180, N56136, serial number 28-7305538, operated by berz flying service, inc., returned from a local flight with a similar crack through its vertical stabilizer.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 20, 2002, AT 1445 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N16319, OPERATED BY BERZ FLYING SERVICE, INC., AS A RENTAL AIRPLANE, RETURNED FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE RESULTING FROM A CRACK THROUGH ITS VERTICAL STABILIZER SPAR. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE FLIGHT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PRIVATE RATED RENTAL PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BERZ-MACOMB AIRPORT (UIZ), MACOMB, MICHIGAN, AT 1330. THE 1973 AIRPLANE, SERIAL NUMBER 28-7305224, WAS USED THROUGHOUT ITS SERVICE LIFE AS A RENTAL/FLIGHT TRAINING AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE AND VERTICAL STABILIZER ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 13,810 HOURS. ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, THE CRACK WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE AIRPLANE S LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH WAS PERFORMED 7 HOURS BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE CRACK IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES ABOVE THE BASE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 INCHES FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STABILIZER INTO THE 3 1/2 INCH SPAR. ANOTHER PIPER PA-28-180, N56136, SERIAL NUMBER 28-7305538, OPERATED BY BERZ FLYING SERVICE, INC., RETURNED FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH A SIMILAR CRACK THROUGH ITS VERTICAL STABILIZER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.