Piper PA-22-160 N9216D

Summary

On 13 August 2012 at about 01:45 local time, a Piper PA-22-160 registered N9216D, operated by Jose Martinez, was involved in an accident near Bay Minette, Alabama, United States. 2 people were 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

13 August 2012 at 01:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bay Minette, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Bay Minette (1R8)

Coordinates

30.8703, -87.8192

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-160

Registration

N9216D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jose Martinez

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Foley → Bay Minette

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA12LA505

Nobody was injured.

The separation of the tailwheel linkage for reasons that could not be determined because the linkage was not located, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot performed seven uneventful full-stop landings; however, during the takeoff that preceded the accident, he felt something abnormal from the tailwheel. During the subsequent landing, the airplane began to drift to the left and could not be controlled with the appropriate brake and rudder inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and the empennage was substantially damaged when it struck a precision approach path indicator light. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the linkage that attached the tailwheel to the rudder was not attached. The airplane had been operated for about 3 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 3 weeks before the accident. In addition, the airplane was converted from a tricycle to tailwheel configuration and had undergone a complete restoration during the previous 2 years. The tailwheel linkage was not located, and its preaccident condition could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.