What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 10, 2011, at approximately 18:55 hrs local, aircraft N31NW, a Piper navajo (pa 31-350), flight SKQ601 departed burlington NC (buy) for Baltimore (bwi) airport. The aircraft landed at bwi at approximately 20:24 hours local. On February 11, 2011, this office was notified by inspector tim haley, from the greensboro FSDO, about an incident with N31NW which was parked at bwi. The aircraft had a bent left elevator. The pilot was unaware of this during flight and did not declare an emergency, but noticed it after landing. During flight the pilot stated that he experienced autopilot pitch fluctuation at 7000 feet. The aircraft pitched down slightly, then up slightly followed by a downward pitch that caused a 200 foot deviation. The pilot then disengaged the autopilot. The pilot also stated that the autopilot made a course change at nutts intersection direct to pxt when he felt a vibration in the control yoke. The aircraft was slightly out of rudder trim, and he retrimmed the rudder and no further vibration was felt. At approximately 1300 hours I arrived at the scene at bwi, assisted by privacy data omitted, and inspected the damage to the airplane. I took photographs.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 10, 2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:55 HRS LOCAL, AIRCRAFT N31NW, A PIPER NAVAJO (PA 31-350), FLIGHT SKQ601 DEPARTED BURLINGTON NC (BUY) FOR BALTIMORE (BWI) AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT BWI AT APPROXIMATELY 20:24 HOURS LOCAL. ON FEBRUARY 11, 2011, THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED BY INSPECTOR TIM HALEY, FROM THE GREENSBORO FSDO, ABOUT AN INCIDENT WITH N31NW WHICH WAS PARKED AT BWI. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A BENT LEFT ELEVATOR. THE PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DURING FLIGHT AND DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, BUT NOTICED IT AFTER LANDING. DURING FLIGHT THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED AUTOPILOT PITCH FLUCTUATION AT 7000 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY, THEN UP SLIGHTLY FOLLOWED BY A DOWNWARD PITCH THAT CAUSED A 200 FOOT DEVIATION. THE PILOT THEN DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE AUTOPILOT MADE A COURSE CHANGE AT NUTTS INTERSECTION DIRECT TO PXT WHEN HE FELT A VIBRATION IN THE CONTROL YOKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF RUDDER TRIM, AND HE RETRIMMED THE RUDDER AND NO FURTHER VIBRATION WAS FELT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT BWI, ASSISTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND INSPECTED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. I TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.