Piper PA-28-140 N1453T

Summary

On 17 August 2001 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N1453T was involved in an accident near Wilgrove, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 August 2001 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wilgrove, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Wilgrove Airpark (8A6)

Coordinates

35.1910, -80.7397

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N1453T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilgrove → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA01LA219

Nobody was injured.

The failure of maintenance personal to properly reconnect the throttle-cable-to carburetor attachment, resulting in a throttle cable disconnection while in the landing pattern, and collision with trees. A factor in the accident was the failure of the pilot to obtain maintenance assistance once unfamiliar throttle action was detected.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the aircraft underwent an annual inspection on August 2, 2001. One of the tasks performed was the removal and replacement of the oil pump impellers, and the throttle linkage must be disconnected to expedite the job. Nine-tenths of a flight hour and seven takeoffs after returning the aircraft to service, the throttle would not respond to the pilot's input while in the landing pattern. The pilot executed a partial power go-around, and the aircraft crashed into trees at the end of the runway. Wreckage examination revealed the throttle cable disconnected at the carburetor, and no drilled bolt, castellated nut or locking cotter pin that forms the throttle cable-to-carburetor connection was found. The pilot mentioned that since the annual inspection, he detected a slight detent in the throttle motion at about 1,100 rpm engine speed, but failed to mention it to the mechanic. The FAA certified IA who signed off the work stated he was 99.9 per cent certain the attaching hardware was correctly installed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.