What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 8, 2017, about 1256 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-12, N3280M, was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire after takeoff from orlando Sanford international airport (sfb),
Orlando, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under
The provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
Preliminary examination of the elevator control cables revealed that a nose-up control stick input resulted in a nose-down deflection of the elevator and vice versa. Further examination revealed that the elevator control cables were improperly rigged, such that they were attached to the incorrect (opposite) locations on the upper and lower elevator control horn.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 8, 2017, ABOUT 1256 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-12, N3280M, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND A POSTCRASH FIRE AFTER TAKEOFF FROM ORLANDO SANFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SFB),
ORLANDO, FLORIDA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER
THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES REVEALED THAT A NOSE-UP CONTROL STICK INPUT RESULTED IN A NOSE-DOWN DEFLECTION OF THE ELEVATOR AND VICE VERSA. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES WERE IMPROPERLY RIGGED, SUCH THAT THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE INCORRECT (OPPOSITE) LOCATIONS ON THE UPPER AND LOWER ELEVATOR CONTROL HORN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.