20040820021789A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-180 · London, KY · August 20, 2004

Date: August 20, 2004 · 17:30 local
Place: London, KY
Airport: London-Corbin Airport-Macgee
Phase of flight: Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2330T
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD04LA041
Reported as: Piper PA28R180
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360B1E
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 81 total18 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days

N2330TRegistered now · Piper PA-28R-180S/N 28R-7130010 Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-180

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/owner noticed damage on top skin of left wing following his local flight doing touch and go landings. He stated that at least one of the landings was harder than normal, but he didn't think that any of the landings should have caused the damage to the wing. It appears that the affected area may have been repaired at an earlier date, though no maintenance records indicate a repair in that area. Some of the crack in the wing rib at the damaged site, does not appear to be fresh. There are several missing rib attachment rivets. Also one of the rib rivets is improperly installed, I.e. hole misdrilled, and improper bucktail.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT/OWNER NOTICED DAMAGE ON TOP SKIN OF LEFT WING FOLLOWING HIS LOCAL FLIGHT DOING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. HE STATED THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE LANDINGS WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL, BUT HE DIDN'T THINK THAT ANY OF THE LANDINGS SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO THE WING. IT APPEARS THAT THE AFFECTED AREA MAY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AT AN EARLIER DATE, THOUGH NO MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE A REPAIR IN THAT AREA. SOME OF THE CRACK IN THE WING RIB AT THE DAMAGED SITE, DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE FRESH. THERE ARE SEVERAL MISSING RIB ATTACHMENT RIVETS. ALSO ONE OF THE RIB RIVETS IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, I.E. HOLE MISDRILLED, AND IMPROPER BUCKTAIL.

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 IAD04LA041Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLondon, KYAn undocumented, improper repair attempt, which subsequently resulted in fatigue cracking to the rib cap.Aug 20, 2004 · Substantial damage