20130416007009A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Beech E33 · Tyler, TX · April 16, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: April 16, 2013 · 11:44 local
Place: Tyler, TX
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8345N
Reported as: Beech E33
Reported engine: Continental I0-470-K
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,600 total2,500 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N8345NRegistered now · Beech E33S/N CD-1159 · Built 1968 Airframe modelBeech E33 Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

The day before the accident flight a line service tech (uncertificated person) had towed the aircraft and subsequently broken the tow lugs off the scissor's pin. The line service tech removed the broken pin for reasons unknown. He informed the mechanic on duty a new pin was needed but did not tell him he had removed the pin.

The day of the flight the pilot asked the mechanic about the broken tow lugs. The mechanic told him the aircraft was "good to go" as is. The line service tech was not on duty that day and thus the removed pin was not discovered prior to the flight.

As the FAA filed it

THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT A LINE SERVICE TECH (UNCERTIFICATED PERSON) HAD TOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY BROKEN THE TOW LUGS OFF THE SCISSOR'S PIN. THE LINE SERVICE TECH REMOVED THE BROKEN PIN FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. HE INFORMED THE MECHANIC ON DUTY A NEW PIN WAS NEEDED BUT DID NOT TELL HIM HE HAD REMOVED THE PIN.

THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT THE PILOT ASKED THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE BROKEN TOW LUGS. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM THE AIRCRAFT WAS "GOOD TO GO" AS IS. THE LINE SERVICE TECH WAS NOT ON DUTY THAT DAY AND THUS THE REMOVED PIN WAS NOT DISCOVERED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT.