Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-34-200T near Tallahassee, FL — 2013-06-03

Final reportERA13IA267
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Date
2013-06-03
Location
Tallahassee, FL, USA
Airport
TLH
Aircraft
PIPER PA-34-200T
Registration
N633TC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The failure of the elevator trim cable due to fatigue cracking, which resulted from maintenance personnel’s repeated inadequate inspection of the cable.

NTSB narrative

According to the flight instructor, during the initial climb, the student pilot noticed a problem with the elevator trim wheel. The flight instructor moved the trim wheel and noted no resistance. He then looked down at the wheel and observed the trim cable protruding from its side. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, advised the tower air traffic controller of the emergency, and landed the airplane without incident. Examination of the elevator trim cable assembly revealed that the trim cable failed due to fatigue cracking of the individual wires. The wire breaks were so numerous and over such a sizable length that they should have been detectable by a visual inspection. However, a review of the aircraft logbooks revealed that maintenance personnel did not detect the fatigue cracking of the wires during the most recent 100-hour and annual inspections nor during compliance with an airworthiness directive (AD) that required, in part, that all control cables be inspected for broken wires strands and that any broken wire strands be replaced; the inspections and AD were accomplished less than 2 months before the incident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Inspection failure to detect trim cable issues during recent maintenance.

NTSB coding

  • Flight control sys malf/fail · Initial climb
  • Maintenance

Evidence available

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

Docket documents12

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