# Accident 20110210001679A: Piper PA-31-350, Baltimore, MD, February 10, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 10, 2011, 20:24 local time
- Place: Baltimore, MD
- Airport: Baltimore Washington/Thurgood
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.1753° N, 76.6683° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1753&lon=-76.6683&mi=10
- Aircraft: N31NW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31NW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2B (registry code 41976, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-j2b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA141) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110210001679A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 ERA11LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA141), Feb 11, 2011: Piper PA-31-350 (N31NW), Baltimore, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight overload failure of the left elevator inboard balance weight rib for undetermined reasons.

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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