Piper PA-24-260 N503JA

Summary

On 8 August 2023 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N503JA was involved in an accident near Fullerton, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 2023 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fullerton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fullerton Muni (FUL)

Coordinates

33.8720, -117.9798

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N503JA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fullerton → La Verne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA317

1 person had minor injuries.

The separation of the stabilator actuator from the stabilator tab, which resulted in pitch control surface flutter and structural damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff the airplane began to shake violently with the control yoke moving rapidly forward and aft from stop to stop. The pilot was able to perform an on-airport emergency landing after shutting down the engine, but sustained hand injuries due to the extreme control forces and oscillations. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator structure in a manner consistent with it exhibiting aerodynamic flutter. Postaccident examination revealed that the stabilator tab actuator was disconnected from the control tab, and the bolt, nut, and washer that connected them were missing. The disconnection of the actuator allowed the tab surface to uncouple, which resulted in flutter and structural damage to the stabilator. Circumferential scoring around the bolt hole within the tabs indicated that the bolt was likely loose for an undetermined period before failure. The nut had likely not been replaced since the airplane was manufactured almost 60 years before the accident, so its locking properties would have been significantly diminished.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.