- Date
- September 10, 1983, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Trenton, MO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N372TPiper PA-14
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830910048009A
- Case key
- 33355
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 acft had just received extensive maintenance at buffalo, MO, which included internal & external recovering & an STC modification. During arrival at Trenton, MO, the acft was observed on a short final apch. At a position of aprx 200 ft short of the rwy & 75 ft AGL, the acft was observed to pitch up to the left, stall, pitch down & impact the ground. An exam of the acft revealed that the front attaching point for the left horizontal stabilizer had separated from the crossover tude. The crossover tube was designed as a connecting member between the left & right horizontal stabilizers. There was evidence that the crossover tube had only been inserted 7/8 inch into the front attaching point of the left stabilizer, but was inserted 4-7/8 inches into the right stabilizer. The connecting bolt was still installed in the left stabilizer, but it was located beyond the extension of the crossover tube on that side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N372T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-492
- Airframe hours
- 1,566
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lee T. Speicher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 1983 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- H17 · Buffalo, MO
- Airport
- TRX · Trenton Municipal, runway 35, 4,400 × 50 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 448 total · 448 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 11 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Observed at
- IRK, 62 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.