Piper PA-23 N1227P

Summary

On 25 April 1982 at about 20:45 local time, a Piper PA-23 registered N1227P, operated by Suncoast Aviation, was involved in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

25 April 1982 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-23

Registration

N1227P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Suncoast Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Indianapolis → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL82DA115

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING LEVEL FLIGHT AT 9000 FT, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, FOLLOWED BY A VIBRATION FOR 15 TO 20 SECONDS. HE DIVERTED AND LANDED AT LOUISVILLE, KY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE RUDDER TRIM TAB ACTUATOR ARM HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TAB. ALSO, THE TAB AND MOST OF THE RUDDER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VERTICLE STABILIZER. MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN THE AREA OF THE RUDDER TRIM TAB ACTUATOR ARM ATTACH AREA. FOUR POPPED RIVETS HAD BEEN USED TO ATTACH A SKIN PATCH (UNDER THE RUDDER TRIM TAB BRACKET). EIGHT RIVETS WERE USED TO ATTACH THE BRACKET TO THE TRIM TAB. NONE OF THE 12 RIVETS MET THE STANDARD OF DEFORMING/EXPANDING THE RIVET TO 1 AND 1/2 TIMES THE ORIGINAL DIAMETER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LOGBOOKS FAILED TO REVEAL WHEN THE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.