Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172 near Arlington, WA — 2016-06-06

Final reportGAA16CA286
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Date
2016-06-06
Location
Arlington, WA, USA
Airport
AWO
Aircraft
CESSNA 172
Registration
N539MT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The failure of the airplane’s right steering rod end, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane, he made a normal landing, but the airplane began to veer left of the centerline during the landing roll. He corrected with right rudder and heard a "thump" as if something affixed to the airplane was being dragged, and the rudder steering became ineffective. He recalled that, with constant hard right rudder input, coupled with dynamic braking, he turned the airplane to the right, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right steering rod end had failed and that the bolts of the nose gear firewall mount were pulled from the firewall. The nose gear assembly had rotated more than 90° to the left and was found underneath the fuselage. The NTSB investigator-in-charge asked that the two additional airplanes in the operator's inventory be inspected. The operator found that the steering rod ends of the inspected airplanes were bent and showed signs of cracking between the threads. The steering bungees were visually inspected; however, they could not be thoroughly inspected without damaging the component.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Inspecting the steering rod ends before the flight could have prevented failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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