# Accident 20120126001659A: Piper PA-28-181, Santa Barbara, CA, January 26, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 26, 2012, 14:08 local time
- Place: Santa Barbara, CA
- Airport: Santa Barbara Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4261° N, 119.8414° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4261&lon=-119.8414&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4297S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4297S-2012-03-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12CA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA083) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120126001659A

## Narrative

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

1/26/2012 @ 1408 HOURS: AIRCRAFT N4297S, PIPER PA-28 LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF ROLL RWY 25 AT SANTA BARBARA AIRPORT (SBA), DEPARTED LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY JUST BEFORE RWY 15 (CROSS RUNWAY), WENT INTO THE OUTFIELD, HIT RUNWAY HOLD SHORT SIGN, AND CAME TO REST BACK UP ON RWY 25. NO INJURIES. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. ACCURATE AVIATION RECOVERED AIRCRAFT.1/27/2012: VISUALLY INSPECTED AIRCRAFT IN SBA. IT APPEARS THAT THE WING HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON THE CENTER AND RIGHT UNDER SIDE. THE RIGHT GEAR IS DAMAGED AND THE RIGHT STABILATOR IS HEAVILY DAMAGED. CONTACTED THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE STATED THAT HE LINED UP FOR THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 25. HE STATED THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 10 KNOTS STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND AT 10-15 KNOTS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. HE PULLED OFF THE THROTTLE WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER. AT THIS POINT HE WAS OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND HEADING FOR A RUNWAY SIGN. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK TO TRY AVOIDING THE SIGN. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BECOME AIRBORNE. THE RIGHT STABILATOR HIT ONE OF THE SIGNS AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN, SPUN OUT AND CAME TO A REST ON RUNWAY 25. THE RIGHT GEAR TORQUE LINK FAILED AND THE GEAR PIVOTED 360 DEGREES.2/1/2012: INSPECTED AIRCRAFT ON JACKS. CHECKED RUDDER AND NOSE STEERING FOR CORRECT OPERATION. INSPECTED LEFT MAIN GEAR FOR FREEDOM OF TIRE ROTATION. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. VERIFIED AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT INSPECTION AND THAT RECENT MAINTENANCE HAD NO BEARING ON THE ACCIDENT. OBTAINED REPORT FROM SBA AIRPORT AS THEY WERE THE ONLY AUTHORITIES ON SCENE. SPOKE WITH SUPERVISOR REYNOSO WHO WAS AT ACCIDENT SITE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORQUE LINK FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME BACK ONTO RWY 25 FROM THE DIRT. THE RECOVERED PIECE FROM THE TORQUE LINK WAS FOUND ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY ABOUT 30 YARDS FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST.

## 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 WPR12CA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA083), Jan 26, 2012: Piper PA-28-181 (N4297S), Santa Barbara, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot did not maintain directional control during takeoff.

## Other reports on N4297S (3)

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

- [Incident 19990227018039I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990227018039I), Feb 27, 1999: Piper PA28181 (N4297S), Frisco, TX, Minor damage. On 02/27/99, at 12:20 p.m., a Piper PA-28-181, N4297S, owned by autsin airplane company, 2220 canton st. apt 310, dallas, TX 75201, crashed at dallas jet port…
- [Incident 19910926060109I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910926060109I), Sep 26, 1991: Piper PA28181 (N4297S), Van Nuys, CA, Minor damage. Loss of airspeed and heavy controls on approach. Hard landing. Yoke rubbing vacuum line.
- [Incident 19880121004719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880121004719I), Jan 21, 1988: Piper PA28181 (N4297S), Big Bear City, CA, Minor damage. Lost directional control of aircraft on takeoff roll due to a shift of winds. Veered off runway. Struck a snowbank.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.