- Date
- September 17, 2021, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chandalar Shelf, AK · 5CD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8061DPiper PA-22-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210917016119A
- Case key
- 103925
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A separation of the rudder cable from the rudder pedal due to the connecting bolt detaching for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, as the airplane became airborne, he heard an “audible pop” and immediately felt slack in the left rudder pedal. The airplane banked to the right, unable to recover from the right turn, he decreased power and added right rudder. Subsequently, he continued in the forced bank to the right and maneuvered the airplane for an emergency off-airport landing. During the emergency landing the tail was dragged sideways, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. A postaccident examination revealed that the forward attachment point of the rudder cable that connects to the rudder pedal came unfastened. The pilot reported that the connecting bolt was recovered but that the nut and cotter pin were not located. Based on the available evidence it was undetermined why the nut disconnected from the bolt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8061D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5584
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 4,480.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 2021
- Airport
- 5CD · Chandalar Shelf, runway 19, 2,529 × 70 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 28, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 578 total · 578 in this make and model · 578 as pilot in command · 193 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.51 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKP, 50 nm away
- METAR
- PAKP 172256Z AUTO 04009KT 10SM -RA BKN008 OVC037 01/M01 A2951 RMK AO2 RAB33SNE33 SLP036 P0000 T00111011 FZRANO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.