# NTSB CEN22LA038: Piper PA-22-160, N3463Z, West Union, OH, November 15, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: November 15, 2021, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: West Union, OH - Coordinates: 38.851672, -83.566007 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8517&lon=-83.5660&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 104263 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA038 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104263/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104263 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA038 ## Probable cause A malfunction of the flight controls for reasons that could not be determined based on available information. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Flight control system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022700): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-22-160, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022700/cases.md?model=7102214), [All aircraft, 65 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022700/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333); cases with it: [Piper PA-22-160, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md?model=7102214), [All aircraft, 410 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-22-160, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7102214), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that he was conducting a solo cross-country flight when the airplane began to roll left unless he continuously held right aileron input. The pilot elected to divert, and during the landing flare, the airplane continued the left roll and touched down hard past the 1,000-ft runway markers. The airplane bounced and touched down a second time before departing the left side of the runway, where it impacted a ditch and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine mount. A postaccident examination did not reveal any flight control anomalies that would have caused the left rolling tendency, and the reason for the malfunction could not be determined based on the available information. ## Factual narrative On November 15, 2021, about 1730 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22-160, N3463Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Union, Ohio. The student pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 instructional flight. The student pilot reported that he was completing a solo cross-country flight when the accident occurred. After descending from 5,500 ft to 2,500 ft, the airplane began to roll left unless the pilot continuously held right aileron input. The use of rudder did not null the left roll tendency. Due to the left roll and lower cloud bases ahead, he elected to divert. After an initial attempt to land on runway 5, he entered left traffic for runway 23. During the landing flare, the airplane continued the left roll and touched down hard past the 1,000 ft runway markers. The airplane bounced and touched down a second time before departing the left side of the runway, where it impacted a ditch and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine mount. During a postaccident examination, control cable continuity and routing were verified from the rudder pedals to the rudder, and full rudder travel was observed. The aileron system was inspected, and control cable continuity and routing were verified from the control column to each aileron. Full travel of each aileron was observed. The aileron/rudder interconnect was also verified and found to be operational with no restrictions. The aileron control yoke was found to be misrigged so that when the ailerons were even with the wingtips, the yoke was approximately 200 offset to the left, and when the yoke was placed in a neutral position, the aileron positions corresponded to a right turn. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3463Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3463Z), registered now, S/N 22-7385, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-22-160 - Registry model: [Piper PA-22-160](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-160) (registry code 7102214) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 22-7385 - Year built: 1960 - Airframe hours: 2009 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B2B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 5, 2020 - Departed: KLUG, Lewisburg, TN - Destination: KTZR, Columbus, OH - Airport: AMT, Alexander Salamon, runway 23, 3,558 × 65 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 51 total, 39 in this make and model, 50 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft broken - Temperature: 41 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: KFGX, 20 nm away - METAR: KFGX 152215Z AUTO 26007KT 10SM BKN060 BKN080 OVC090 05/M03 A3017 RMK AO2 T00451030 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20211115020529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211115020529A), Nov 15, 2021: Piper PA-22-160, West Union, OH, Substantial damage. On Monday, November 15, 2021, at approximately 1818 EDT, a Piper PA-22 aircraft, registration n-number N3463Z, was involved in an accident when it exited the… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 5, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104263. 2.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12979180&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12979031&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record-of-Conversation_PIC-Rel.pdf - Flight control inspection (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 9 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12979612&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Control%20Inspection-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 473 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12980060&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.