- Date
- July 13, 1991, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Stevens Point, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5968DPiper PA22/20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910713027339A
- Case key
- 15119
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 improper installation of the flight control system rudder control rod (rudder cable bellcrank torque tube) by maintenance personnel. A factor contributing to this accident was the inoperative tailwheel steering.
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 tricycle landing gear airplane was converted to a conventional gear configuration using a supplemental type certificate (STC). During a landing rollout the airplane began to turn to the left. Attempts by the pilot and instructor to stop the turn were unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway and groundlooped. And investigation revealed that the right rudder cable bellcrank torque tube had failed. The rudder pedal assembly and broken part did not conform to the STC design.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5968D
- Reported as
- Piper PA22/20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4633
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- R. H. Rettler & Associates
- Registered owner
- R. H. Rettler & Associates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 1991 · 6 hours before
- Airport
- STE · Stevens Point, runway 3, 6,028 × 120 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,360 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Observed at
- CWA, 15 nm away
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 N5968D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.