# Accident 20030519010229A: Piper PA31350, Wenatchee, WA, May 19, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 19, 2003, 20:15 local time
- Place: Wenatchee, WA
- Airport: Pangborn Memorial Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: TVDA
- Location: 47.3833° N, 120.2114° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.3833&lon=-120.2114&mi=10
- Aircraft: N71749, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N71749-2015-08-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 70 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA03LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA085) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030519010229A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 2015 HRS ON 05-19-2003 N71749, A PA-31-350 N71749 RAN OFF RUNWAY 30 AT THE WENATCHEE, WA AIRPORT (EAT) WHILE LANDING. THERE IS EVIDENCE ON THE RUNWAY THAT THE NOSE TIRE WAS OCCILATING FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS AND PULLING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY JUST NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION WITH RUNWAY 07-25, AS THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SOFT SOIL, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING A WRINKLE IN THE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE COPILOTS WINDSHIELD EXTENDING TO THE RIGHT HAND WING ROOT AREA AND DAMAGE TO RIGHT AND LEFT HAND PROPELLERS. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, WHO WAS ALONE IN THE AIRCRAFT, NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON 05-20-2003, WHILE TIED DOWN ON THE RAMP NEAR THE FIRE STATION FOUND THE NOSE GEAR EXTEND/RETRACT LINKS BROKE AND BENT. ALSO, THE NOSE GEAR STEERING ARM (P/N 44387-00) TO BE MISSING (NOT FOUND ON RUNWAY OR AT ACCIDENT SITE) AND NOSE GEAR HOUSING ASSEMBLY (P/N 40273-00) WITH DEFORMED RIGHT TURN LIMIT STOP BENT ALLOWING OVER STEERING TO THE RIGHT TO APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES OF TRAVEL. IN MY OPINION, THIS ACCIDENT RESULTED FROM AN OVERSTEERING INCIDENT, PROBABLY BY A GROUND HANDLING TUG. THE OVERSTEERING CAUSED SHEAR STRESS ON THE STEERING ARM ATTACH BOLTS, ALLOWING THEM TO FAIL AND CAUSE A CONDITION WHERE THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND, I.E. THE LANDING ROLL OUT AT EAT. ALSO THE OVERSTEERING CAUSED THE RIGHT STEERING STOP ON THE UPPER STRUT HOUSING TO FAIL ALLOWING THE STRUT TO EASILY EXCEED THE RIGHT HAND TURNING LIMIT DURING TUGGING OPERATIONS THUS, REPEATEDLY LOADING THE STEERING ARM ATTACH BOLTS TO BE PUT UNDER A SHEAR STRESS LOAD. ON THIS AIRCRAFT, THE RIGHT HAND TURNING LIMIT STOP HAD BEEN BROKEN PREVIOUSLY. A WELD REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE, WHICH WAS BROKEN AT THE TIME I LOOKED AT THIS AIRCRAFT ON 05-20-03. THERE IS NO APPROVAL FOR THIS WELDED REPAIR. IN MY OPINION, THE STEERING STOP FAILURE WAS EXISTING AT THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED FOR TAKE OFF AT SPOKANE, WA (GEG). DUE TO A LACK OF A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OR A LACK OF PREFLIGHT INSPECTION KNOWLEDGE ON BEHALF OF THE PILOT, THE STEERING STOP FAILURE WENT UNDETECTED. THIS FAILURE HAS PROBABLY EXISTED FOR SOME TIME AND WAS NOT ADDRESSED BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT PERFORMING JUST ANNUAL INSPECTIONS RATHER THAN 100 HR INSPECTIONS AND ANNUALS IS INADEQUATE FOR THE TYPE OF OPERATION AND THE NUMBER OF HOURS FLOWN BY THIS OPERATOR.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA03LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA085), May 20, 2003: Piper PA-31-350 (N71749), Wenatchee, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the nose gear steering system for undetermined reasons during the landing roll.

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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