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20230503011539A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Conroe, TX · May 3, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 3, 2023 · 14:28 local
Place
Conroe, TX
Airport
Conroe North Houston
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
U9FS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N28HE
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA172
Reported as
Piper PA-34-200
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
33,856 total
N28HERegistration cancelled Feb 28, 2024 · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7350278 · Built 1973Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

I was conducting a check ride for multi-engine commercial for student. We started at 12:00 but departed cxo at 12:30. Before departure the plan was briefed, a preflight was conducted and run up completed. We took off and departed to the north east and climbed to 3500 feet.

We had just completed steep turns left and right and rolled out on a heading of 020 toward lake livingston. The aircraft was configured for slow flight clean when I heard a boom or bang noise. The control yokes came back and I did not have pitch control. The aircraft pitched up 50 degrees and when power was applied it pitched up more. It acted as if the elevator was disconnected and the aircraft began to oscillate. I had taken the controls and student operated the radios. She called cxo tower and declared a may day, stated aircraft control failure and she squawked 7600 on the transponder. There was vibration in the aircraft, it was oscillating and it was less pronounced with decreased power.

I picked out a field for landing and kept the wheels up and pulled the mixture cutoff. We went through the top of the trees hit the ground, bounced about 20 feet and caught the left wing. The aircraft came to rest and I turned the master switch off, there was no fire. The student was injured with a deep gash to her head. I was injured and it felt as if I had the breath knocked out of me. We were able to get her seat belt off and untangled and open the door. We crawled out of the aircraft for about 30 yards to the rear of the aircraft and called 911. I noticed a couple of airplanes circling overhead and it took fire and rescue about 28 minutes to arrive.

Inspectors note: upon investigation at the crash site, it was discovered the hardware that secured the elevator trim control rod to the adjustment trim mechanism was missing. This caused loss of pitch control resulting in the accident.

As the FAA filed it

I WAS CONDUCTING A CHECK RIDE FOR MULTI-ENGINE COMMERCIAL FOR STUDENT. WE STARTED AT 12:00 BUT DEPARTED CXO AT 12:30. BEFORE DEPARTURE THE PLAN WAS BRIEFED, A PREFLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AND RUN UP COMPLETED. WE TOOK OFF AND DEPARTED TO THE NORTH EAST AND CLIMBED TO 3500 FEET.

WE HAD JUST COMPLETED STEEP TURNS LEFT AND RIGHT AND ROLLED OUT ON A HEADING OF 020 TOWARD LAKE LIVINGSTON. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR SLOW FLIGHT CLEAN WHEN I HEARD A BOOM OR BANG NOISE. THE CONTROL YOKES CAME BACK AND I DID NOT HAVE PITCH CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP 50 DEGREES AND WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED IT PITCHED UP MORE. IT ACTED AS IF THE ELEVATOR WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO OSCILLATE. I HAD TAKEN THE CONTROLS AND STUDENT OPERATED THE RADIOS. SHE CALLED CXO TOWER AND DECLARED A MAY DAY, STATED AIRCRAFT CONTROL FAILURE AND SHE SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE TRANSPONDER. THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS OSCILLATING AND IT WAS LESS PRONOUNCED WITH DECREASED POWER.

I PICKED OUT A FIELD FOR LANDING AND KEPT THE WHEELS UP AND PULLED THE MIXTURE CUTOFF. WE WENT THROUGH THE TOP OF THE TREES HIT THE GROUND, BOUNCED ABOUT 20 FEET AND CAUGHT THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AND I TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF, THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE STUDENT WAS INJURED WITH A DEEP GASH TO HER HEAD. I WAS INJURED AND IT FELT AS IF I HAD THE BREATH KNOCKED OUT OF ME. WE WERE ABLE TO GET HER SEAT BELT OFF AND UNTANGLED AND OPEN THE DOOR. WE CRAWLED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 30 YARDS TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED 911. I NOTICED A COUPLE OF AIRPLANES CIRCLING OVERHEAD AND IT TOOK FIRE AND RESCUE ABOUT 28 MINUTES TO ARRIVE.

INSPECTORS NOTE: UPON INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE HARDWARE THAT SECURED THE ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL ROD TO THE ADJUSTMENT TRIM MECHANISM WAS MISSING. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF PITCH CONTROL RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN23LA172Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportColdspring, TXThe stabilator trim rod assembly separated from the stabilator link assembly due to a missing connecting bolt, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain pitch control of the airplane.May 3, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N28HE · 3

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

Incident 20200118003659ITakeoff: Departure Roll · Abilene, TXOn January 18, 2020, at approximately 1958 CDT, N28HE, a Piper PA-34, was on an instructional flight and landed at Abilene Regional Airport in Abilene, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no IFR flight plan was filed. The left…Jan 18, 2020 · Minor damageIncident 20131022020979ILanding: Touchdown · Fort Worth, TXThe instructor, - began his day at 0930 CDT teaching a two hour ground lesson to a different student. He then flew an instructional flight at 1130 that lasted approximately 2.2 hours. His second instructional flight was cancelled due to lack of aircraft. He…Oct 22, 2013 · Minor damageIncident 20090123000389ITakeoff · San Diego/El C, CA(-23) N28HE a Piper PA34-200, during touch and go landing at Gillespie Field Airport runway 27R, student pilot retracted landing gear prior to becoming airborne and the right main gear collapsed.Jan 23, 2009 · Minor damage