- Date
- July 4, 2012, 13:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Stevensville, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2870MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120704011469A
- Case key
- 84197
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 separation of the left rudder control cable from the rudder bellcrank, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane suddenly veered to the right. Despite his control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right and ground looped, which resulted in structural damage to the left wingtip and aileron. Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the nicopress fitting on the left rudder control cable had failed, which disconnected the cable from the rudder bellcrank. No additional preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation were reported.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane suddenly veered to the right. Despite his control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right and ground looped which resulted in structural damage to the left wingtip and aileron. Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the nicopress fitting on the left rudder control cable had failed, which allowed the cable to become disconnected from the rudder bellcrank. No additional preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2870M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1199
- Airframe hours
- 3,136
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Johnson James F
- Registered owner
- Johnson James F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 2012 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- 1U1 · Moose Creek, ID
- Destination
- 32S · Stevensville, MT
- Airport
- 32S · Stevensville Airport, runway 30, 3,800 × 60 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,943 total · 265 in this make and model · 1,541 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 484 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.