ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356963
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| Date: | Sunday 28 July 1996 |
| Time: | 14:15 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-151 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N44059 |
| MSN: | 28-7415574 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1974 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4019 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E3D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New Melle, MO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chesterfield, MO (SUS |
| Fulton, MO (KFTT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Shortly after takeoff, the elevator trim traveled to the nose up position. The pilot reported that he had to maintain 15 to 20 pounds of pressure on the control yoke to keep the airplane in a nose level attitude, and he had to hold the yoke about 2 inches from its forward stop. He was unable to rectify the situation, and he elected to make an off airport landing. During the landing, the airplane contacted fence posts, and both wings were separated from the fuselage. Postaccident inspection revealed that the wiring between the electric trim switch and the trim motor had shorted. This resulted in motor activation. The pilot stated the trim switch had been broken for 'years,' but he had never disconnected the wiring between the switch and the motor.
Probable Cause: the pilot's selection of an unsuitable area for an emergency/precautionary landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's continual operation of the airplane with a known deficiency (broken trim switch); an uncommanded activation of the elevator trim to the nose up position, which resulted from a short in the electrical wiring between a broken trim switch and the trim motor; and fence posts in the selected emergency landing area.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI96LA255
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Mar-2024 12:46 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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