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20111030026429I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Grumman American Avn. AA-5B · Santa Paula, CA · October 30, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 30, 2011 · 16:45 local
Place
Santa Paula, CA
Airport
Santa Paula
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N28618
Reported as
Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N28618Registered now · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B0707 · Built 1978Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5BEngine modelLycoming O&VO-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.

After departure from szp, the pilot encountered a flight control malfunction when the right aileron disconnected from the control system (the left aileron was still functional). The aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely. Upon investigation by the FAA inspector, it was found that the right aileron control torque tube had become disconnected from the right aileron control horn. The bolt/nut assembly that connects this aileron torque tube to the control horn had worked its way out and was lying loose on the cabin floor. An examination of the aileron torque tube, control horn, nut and bolt revealed no defects. The nut (locking type) had plenty of run-on torqure. An examination of the aircraft records indicated that both aileron assemblies, including torque tubes, had recently been removed from the wings to comply with the repetitive inspection requirements (every 100 hours) of AD 79-22-004, paragraphs (a) and (b). Note: the torque tube/control horns are connected in an area that is located beneath the rear seat and not visible during a preflight. It is determined that the cause of this flight control malfunction is maintenance related.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER DEPARTURE FROM SZP, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION WHEN THE RIGHT AILERON DISCONNECTED FROM THE CONTROL SYSTEM (THE LEFT AILERON WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL). THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED SAFELY. UPON INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA INSPECTOR, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RIGHT AILERON CONTROL TORQUE TUBE HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE RIGHT AILERON CONTROL HORN. THE BOLT/NUT ASSEMBLY THAT CONNECTS THIS AILERON TORQUE TUBE TO THE CONTROL HORN HAD WORKED ITS WAY OUT AND WAS LYING LOOSE ON THE CABIN FLOOR. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AILERON TORQUE TUBE, CONTROL HORN, NUT AND BOLT REVEALED NO DEFECTS. THE NUT (LOCKING TYPE) HAD PLENTY OF RUN-ON TORQURE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT BOTH AILERON ASSEMBLIES, INCLUDING TORQUE TUBES, HAD RECENTLY BEEN REMOVED FROM THE WINGS TO COMPLY WITH THE REPETITIVE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS (EVERY 100 HOURS) OF AD 79-22-004, PARAGRAPHS (A) AND (B). NOTE: THE TORQUE TUBE/CONTROL HORNS ARE CONNECTED IN AN AREA THAT IS LOCATED BENEATH THE REAR SEAT AND NOT VISIBLE DURING A PREFLIGHT. IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION IS MAINTENANCE RELATED.