# NTSB NYC93LA178: Piper PA-24-260, N9249P, Factoryville, PA, August 29, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 29, 1993, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC) - Place: Factoryville, PA - Coordinates: 41.559619, -75.779937 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5596&lon=-75.7799&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 2, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38650 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC93LA178 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38650/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC93LA178 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION BY FAILING TO PROPERLY SET THE STABILATOR TRIM TAB. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - trim setting - improper, pilot in command (cause) - stabilator trim - excessive, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with object, approach - object - tree(s) ## Analysis THE PILOT STARTED THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON A 2500 FEET LONG RUNWAY, AND AT MID-FIELD HE ROTATED THE AIRPLANE AT A SPEED OF 75 MPH. AFTER RETRACTING THE FLAPS, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO RISE DESPITE THE PILOT'S EFFORTS TO LOWER THE NOSE. THE RIGHT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK SOME TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE STABILATOR TRIM TAB AND INDICATOR WERE IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND STABILATOR TRIM REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES. ## Factual narrative On Sunday, August 29, 1993, at about 1205 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, N9249P, piloted by Mr. Robert Bell, collided with trees after take off from Seamans Airport, Factoryville, Pennsylvania. The airplane was destroyed. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot said he held the airplane on the end of the runway until he had increased the engine RPM to two thousand, released the brakes, and added full throttle. According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2: ...[at] midfield 75 M.P.H. rotate, at 75 feet retract[ed] flaps...lowered the nose, prepared to retract [landing] gear...nose didn't drop but continued to raise, not climbing... A check of the instruments did not give him an indication of the problem. He said, "...dropped right wing...now close to ground, chopped throttle chose white birch trees to control crash." Brian Bell, the pilot's son, was in the right seat at the time and said: ...as we rotated the aircraft went into an extremely nose high attitude as it was climbing. Then the right wing dropped and so we would not hit the hangars to our right he [pilot] pulled back on the power and gave left rudder... The pilot and his son were interviewed by the FAA on August 30, 1993, and the wreckage was examined at the same time. According to the FAA's report: ...the pilot stated that they could not lower the nose of the aircraft after rotation. It was noted...that the stabilator trim tab was approximately 3/4 of an inch below the trailing edge of the stabilator. This would indicate a nose up position. The stabilator trim indicator was just slightly aft of the zero setting...inspected and operated the trim system and it functioned normally...continuity of controls was verified... In a telephone interview with the NTSB, Investigator-In-Charge, on November 12, 1993, the pilot said that when he observed the wreckage after the accident he noticed that the stabilator trim tab was in the "full nose up position," but could not explain how it got in that position. According to FAA Inspector, Morgan Brown, Mrs. Karen Seamans, a certified flight instructor, said that when she arrived at the accident site after the accident, she observed,"...the stabilator trim indicator was in the full nose up position...when she looked in the cockpit." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9249P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9249P-1993-09-24), registration cancelled 1993-09-24, S/N 244558 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-260 - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-260) (registry code 7102406) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 4558 - Airframe hours: 2925 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-D4A5 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Robert Bell - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 18, 1993, 100 hours before - Departed: 9N3, PA - Destination: N63, SUSSEX, NJ - Airport: 9N3, Seamans, runway 4, 2,500 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 1,192 total, 104 in this make and model, 1,192 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F ## 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 19930829031689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930829031689A), Aug 29, 1993: Piper PA24260, Factoryville, PA, Destroyed. Nose pitched up on takeoff. Unable to lower. Stalled into trees. Elevator trim full up. Failed set trim for takeoff ## Other investigations on N9249P (1) 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. - [NTSB CHI81DEP35](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI81DEP35), Jul 17, 1981: Piper PA-24 (N9249P), Washington Is, WI, substantial damage 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.