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20030707016779A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Scottsdale, AZ · July 7, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 7, 2003 · 12:56 local
Place
Scottsdale, AZ
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
FQAS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N288PA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX03LA228
Reported as
Piper PA28181
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
N288PARegistered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 2843502 · Built 2002Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181Engine modelLycoming O-360 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.

(-23) Pilot was conducting practice flights for his commercial rating when he lost aileron control. The control wheel moved but had no effect on the ailerons, at one point the aircraft tried to flip over and the pilot panicked. After regaining his composure he decided to get the wings level and made an emergency landing on a dirt road using rudder steering only. He landed on the road striking a tree on the side of the road with the right wing causing the wing to fail at the fuselage. The wing failed up at a 30 degree angle preventing his egress, passerbys had to remove the cabin door before the pilot could escape. The cause of the loss of control was the single MS24964-S59 screw that attaches the control wheel to the control column backed out of the nutplate riveted in the inside of the control column and fell to the floor of the cockpit. The wheel then spun free on the column. The screw is installed from the bottom allowing gravity to assist in the migration out of the nutplate which has been determined to be defective, in addition it appears the screw is too short and does not engage enough threads to assure a good lock on the screw.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING PRACTICE FLIGHTS FOR HIS COMMERCIAL RATING WHEN HE LOST AILERON CONTROL. THE CONTROL WHEEL MOVED BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE AILERONS, AT ONE POINT THE AIRCRAFT TRIED TO FLIP OVER AND THE PILOT PANICKED. AFTER REGAINING HIS COMPOSURE HE DECIDED TO GET THE WINGS LEVEL AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD USING RUDDER STEERING ONLY. HE LANDED ON THE ROAD STRIKING A TREE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE RIGHT WING CAUSING THE WING TO FAIL AT THE FUSELAGE. THE WING FAILED UP AT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE PREVENTING HIS EGRESS, PASSERBYS HAD TO REMOVE THE CABIN DOOR BEFORE THE PILOT COULD ESCAPE. THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CONTROL WAS THE SINGLE MS24964-S59 SCREW THAT ATTACHES THE CONTROL WHEEL TO THE CONTROL COLUMN BACKED OUT OF THE NUTPLATE RIVETED IN THE INSIDE OF THE CONTROL COLUMN AND FELL TO THE FLOOR OF THE COCKPIT. THE WHEEL THEN SPUN FREE ON THE COLUMN. THE SCREW IS INSTALLED FROM THE BOTTOM ALLOWING GRAVITY TO ASSIST IN THE MIGRATION OUT OF THE NUTPLATE WHICH HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE DEFECTIVE, IN ADDITION IT APPEARS THE SCREW IS TOO SHORT AND DOES NOT ENGAGE ENOUGH THREADS TO ASSURE A GOOD LOCK ON THE SCREW.

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 LAX03LA228Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPhoenix, AZThe disengagement of the left control wheel from the control column, which was due to the attaching screw backing out of the nut plate. Also causal was the manufacturer's inadequate design of the installation and the improper length of the screw.Jul 7, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N288PA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20170311001319ALanding: Rollout · Gila Bend, AZFlight instructor chose to land at a closed runway by NOTAM, in the dark causing substantial damage to the aircraft empanage. Pilot did not stop on the runway and kept flying the aircraft back to home base of chandler chd.Mar 11, 2017 · Substantial damage