- Date
- August 22, 2011, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8076JPiper Aerostar 601P
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110822020019A
- Case key
- 81439
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
The pilot’s improper flare which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to fly the airplane with a known mechanical deficiency.
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
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot felt a vibration in the airplane’s controls and elected to return to the departure airport for a precautionary landing. While on short final, the airplane impacted a fence then made a hard landing on the runway. During the landing, the main landing gear was pushed up through the wing and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently exited the runway before coming to rest in an upright position. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the bolt holding the rudder trim tab to the actuator connecting rod was missing. The absence of this bolt would have allowed the trim tab to swing freely on its hinge. The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection, he observed that the rudder trim system was inoperative. Unable to center the rudder trim tab, the pilot elected to remove the bolt before takeoff. The pilot further reported that he was planning to have the trim system repaired when he returned his home base.
Factual narrative
On August 22, 2011, about 1600 central daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 601P, N8076J, experienced a vibration after takeoff from the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (E38), Alpine, Texas. Following a return to the airport, the airplane experienced a hard landing and sustained substantial damage to both wings. The private pilot, a second pilot, and the sole passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight destined for the Houston Southwest Airport (AXH), Houston, Texas. The pilot reported that after takeoff he felt a vibration in the airplane’s controls. The pilot elected to return to the departure airport for a precautionary landing. While on short final the airplane impacted a fence followed by a hard landing to the runway. During landing both main landing gear were pushed through the upper wing skins and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently exited the runway before coming to rest in an upright position. A post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the bolt holding the rudder trim tab to the actuator connecting rod was missing. The absence of this bolt would allow the trim tab to swing freely on its hinge. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot informed him that during the preflight inspection he observed that the rudder trim system was inoperative. Unable to center the rudder trim tab, the pilot elected to remove the bolt before takeoff. The pilot further reported that he was planning to have the trim system repaired back at his home base.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8076J
- Reported as
- Piper Aerostar 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0559-241
- Airframe hours
- 2,677
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-540, 350 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 18, 2010
- Departed
- E38 · Alpine, TX
- Destination
- AXH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- E38 · Alpine-Casparis Municipal, runway 19, 6,003 × 75 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,164 total · 1,370 in this make and model · 4,164 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.4 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.