20101029050679A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301T · Waterloo, IA · October 29, 2010

Date: October 29, 2010 · 15:10 local
Place: Waterloo, IA
Airport: Waterloo
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8370L
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN11LA048
Reported as: Piper PA-32R-301T
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total8,800 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N8370LRegistration cancelled May 20, 2015 · Piper PA-32R-301TS/N 32R-8129060 Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301T

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.

The passenger states that he is absolutely certain that the elevator control cable was intact during preflight inspection and preflight run up. The passenger states that during the take off roll, the pilot eased back on the yoke, and for a split second, the nose wheel seemed to lift normally. Then the pilot discovered that there was no lift and cycled the yoke full forward and full aft then immediately cut power and added full right rudder to avoid the approaching drainage ditch. This action changed the direction of the aircraft by about 15 or 20 degrees, which allowed the aircraft to cross the ditch at its narrowest point. Crossing the ditch caused the aircraft landing gear to shear off, slowing the aircraft to the point that it slid approximately 60 feet more and came to rest approximately 2/3 of the way up the embankment at the highway.

As the FAA filed it

THE PASSENGER STATES THAT HE IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLE WAS INTACT DURING PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND PREFLIGHT RUN UP. THE PASSENGER STATES THAT DURING THE TAKE OFF ROLL, THE PILOT EASED BACK ON THE YOKE, AND FOR A SPLIT SECOND, THE NOSE WHEEL SEEMED TO LIFT NORMALLY. THEN THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO LIFT AND CYCLED THE YOKE FULL FORWARD AND FULL AFT THEN IMMEDIATELY CUT POWER AND ADDED FULL RIGHT RUDDER TO AVOID THE APPROACHING DRAINAGE DITCH. THIS ACTION CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY ABOUT 15 OR 20 DEGREES, WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO CROSS THE DITCH AT ITS NARROWEST POINT. CROSSING THE DITCH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR TO SHEAR OFF, SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE POINT THAT IT SLID APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET MORE AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 2/3 OF THE WAY UP THE EMBANKMENT AT THE HIGHWAY.

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 CEN11LA048Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWaterloo, IAThe separation of a stabilator control cable turnbuckle due to stress corrosion cracking, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during takeoff.Oct 29, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8370L · 2

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

Incident 19901120057849IFinal Approach · Waterloo, IAOn approach to Private strip hit powerline. Made go around and returned to airport.Nov 20, 1990 · Minor damage Accident 19830725035279AForced/Precautionary Landing · Bakersfield, CACrash occurred during emergency landing after power loss on takeoff.Jul 25, 1983 · Reported as Piper PA32RT301 · Substantial damage