Piper PA-34 N767PE

Summary

On 17 July 2013 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-34 registered N767PE, operated by Phoenix East Aviation, LLC, was involved in an incident near Palm Coast, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 July 2013 at 17:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Palm Coast, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.6019, -81.2083

Aircraft

Piper PA-34

Registration

N767PE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Phoenix East Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Daytona Beach → Daytona Beach

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13IA326

Nobody was injured.

The installation of an incorrect rudder trim tab control rod by unknown maintenance personnel, which resulted in the rod failing in flight due to overload and subsequent uncontrolled rudder oscillations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot receiving instruction was recovering the airplane from a demonstrated minimum control airspeed condition. According to the flight instructor, the airplane was initially about 5,000 ft in a "clean" configuration. Both pilots then felt two "kicks" in the rudder system, which they then verbally confirmed to each other did not result from either of them making inputs. The pilot receiving instruction then heard a "snap," and the rudder pedals began to "pump" full deflection right and left. Subsequently, the flight instructor took control of the airplane and found that neither applying full rudder nor using both feet on the rudder neutralized the deflections. Even with both pilots trying to neutralize the rudders, the deflections continued. The flight instructor subsequently diverted the airplane to a nearby airport and landed it uneventfully. During the on-scene examination, the rudder trim tab control rod was found fractured near the trim tab end. The control rod was replaced, and, during subsequent flights, no further rudder anomalies occurred. Metallurgical examination of the rod revealed that it had failed in overload, and no evidence of fatigue or corrosion was found. Further examination revealed that the rudder trim control rod was composed of a low-alloy, 1000-series carbon steel. An airplane manufacturer representative indicated that the rod should have been composed of a higher grade, 4000-series steel. The airplane was manufactured in 1972, acquired by the current owner in 2005, and had 11,575 hours of operation at the time of the incident. It could not be determined when or by whom the rod was installed on the airplane; it was not installed during the airplane's current ownership.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.