Pilot Debrief

ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 114 near Lapeer, MI — 2013-05-21

Final reportCEN13IA355
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Date
2013-05-21
Location
Lapeer, MI, USA
Airport
D95
Aircraft
ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 114
Registration
N5832N
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The malfunction of the pilot’s seat-latching mechanism due to a bent rod, which allowed the seat to come loose and slide full aft and resulted in a temporary loss of airplane control.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a postmaintenance test flight with the owner acting as copilot. During the landing roll, the pilot's seat came loose and slid full aft. The right wing came up while the pilot's hand was still on the flight controls. He instructed the copilot to take the controls and keep the airplane on the runway. The left wingtip and aileron sustained minor damage during the incident sequence; however, the damage was not discovered until 3 weeks after the incident. An examination of the seat-latching mechanism revealed that the metal rod that locked the seat in place was bent. When aft pressure was applied to the seat, the bent rod released from the latch hole in the seat track, which allowed the seat to slide.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Owner declined to fix the seat rails despite previous issues.

NTSB coding

  • Collision during takeoff/land · Landing
  • Maintenance

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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