Cessna 207 N91157

Summary

On 6 June 2023 at about 17:08 local time, a Cessna 207 registered N91157, operated by Garza Aircraft Inc, was involved in an accident near Harlingen, Texas, 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

6 June 2023 at 17:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Harlingen, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Valley Intl (HRL)

Coordinates

26.2281, -97.6587

Aircraft

Cessna 207

Registration

N91157

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Garza Aircraft Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA231

Nobody was injured.

The improper installation of the throttle control arm to the throttle control cable attachment end, which resulted in a failure of the control arm and a loss of engine power in flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff on the fourth flight of the day, he leveled the airplane about 500 ft above ground level (agl), and set the engine controls for 2,500 rpm and 25 inHg manifold pressure. Immediately after adjusting the engine controls, the engine speed decreased to idle. The pilot made a forced landing to a field and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle control lever had fractured, and the throttle control was no longer connected. The associated hardware remained attached to the throttle control cable attachment end. The engine and fuel control valve were recently overhauled, reinstalled in the airplane, and had accumulated 86.3 hours. A postaccident metallurgical examination revealed the throttle control lever attachment point exhibited wear and deformation on the surfaces of the areas that would have been in contact with the rod end attachment hardware. The throttle control lever attachment point also exhibited wear and a shallow impression of the splined collar on the inner surface of the attachment point bore, which was significantly worn. The splines on the collar were worn and uneven. The wear and deformation to the throttle control lever attachment point and the wear in the attachment point’s bore resulted in dimensions that no longer provided enough interference with the rod end attachment hardware to secure the connection. The throttle linkage hardware build-up on the accident airplane was different than specified by the airplane service manual and was missing a washer. The difference likely resulted in the hardware becoming loose over time and allowing excessive wear of the splined collar and lever arm, and ultimately the failure of the lever arm attachment point.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.