- Date
- June 20, 1992, 12:22 local (17:22 UTC)
- Place
- Addison, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3128MPiper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920620021389A
- Case key
- 18363
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
Failure of the left elevator assembly due to corrosion.
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 engine had just completed major work and the airplane had been released for an engine ground test run; the airplane had not been returned to service or released for flight. Aprx 1 minute after takeoff the pilot reported he needed to return for landing, and was cleared for right traffic rwy 33. About 2 min later the pilot requested to turn base leg, and shortly thereafter the airplane was observed to roll over and impact inverted. The left elevator horizontal tube which extends outboard from the bellcrank had failed. Corrosion particles were removed from inside the tube. Tube thickness outboard of the corrosion area measured 0.035 inch. The director of maintenance stated that the airplane was due and scheduled for the annual inspection prior to releasing the airplane for flight testing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3128M
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15758
- Airframe hours
- 1,466
- Engine
- Continental A65-8-F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Ari Ben Aviator, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ari Ben Aviator, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 25, 1991 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- ADS
- Destination
- ADS
- Airport
- ADS · Addison, runway 33, 7,201 × 100 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 975 total · 631 in this make and model · 764 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADS, 1 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.