- Date
- April 25, 1982, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1227PPiper PA-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820425013729A
- Case key
- 71493
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during level flight at 9000 ft, he noticed smoke coming from under the instrument panel, followed by a vibration for 15 to 20 seconds. He diverted and landed at Louisville, KY without further incident. An examination revealed that the rudder trim tab actuator arm had separated from the tab. Also, the tab and most of the rudder had separated from the verticle stabilizer. Maintenance had been performed in the area of the rudder trim tab actuator arm attach area. Four popped rivets had been used to attach a skin patch (under the rudder trim tab bracket). Eight rivets were used to attach the bracket to the trim tab. None of the 12 rivets met the standard of deforming/expanding the rivet to 1 and 1/2 times the original diameter. An examination of the logbooks failed to reveal when the maintenance was performed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1227P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-247
- Airframe hours
- 3,558
- Engine
- Lycoming O-340-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Suncoast Aviation
- Registered owner
- Suncoast Aviation
- Departed
- Indianapolis, IN
- Destination
- Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 20 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 122 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1227P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.