- Date
- August 14, 1984, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Juneau, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N92740Piper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 40004
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
Over a mountain pass the acft encountered turbulence the plt described as 'severe'. The acft lost 500 to 1,000 ft and turned 180 deg. A 180 deg climbing turn was initiated and the acft again flew into the turbulence. After the second encounter aileron and elevator control were normal but rudder inputs were ineffective. The plt realized he would not be able to clear a ridge ahead and flew into the rising terrain in a nose high attitude. On recovery of the acft it was noticed that the rudder had failed above the top hinge point. A flt precaution was issued by Juneau fss warning of moderate to severe turbulence below 5,000 ft, specifically near mountain passes. No wx brief was obtained by the plt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92740
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1777
- Airframe hours
- 1,523
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steve Houlihan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 1984 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- JNU · Juneau, AK
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 134 total · 90 in this make and model · 88 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JNU, 5 nm away
Other investigations on N92740 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.