The accident flight was the Piper PA-12’s first flight after undergoing restoration over the course of two years.
Although the mechanic who had worked on the airplane with the pilot wanted the pilot to do a high-speed taxi test before flight, the pilot wanted to “hurry up” and test fly the airplane as he had a friend visiting and wanted to take him flying in the airplane.
During the takeoff, witnesses observed the airplane pitch up into a nose-high attitude just after liftoff, stall, and descend in a nose-down attitude to hit the ground at the airport in Sanford, Florida. The pilot died in the crash.
Examination of the wreckage revealed crush damage to the nose and the leading edges of the wings that was consistent with a nearly vertical nose-down flight path at the time of impact.
Further examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane’s elevator control cables were misrigged, such that they were attached to the incorrect (opposite) locations on the upper and lower ends of the elevator control horn, resulting in a reversal of elevator control inputs. If the pilot had checked the elevator for correct motion during the preflight inspection and before takeoff check, he likely would have discovered that it was misrigged, and the accident would have been avoided.
Probable cause: The incorrect rigging of the elevator control cables, which resulted in a reversal of elevator control inputs applied by the pilot during the takeoff, an excessive nose-high pitch, and subsequent aerodynamic stall after takeoff. Also causal was the inadequate postmaintenance inspection and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and before takeoff check, which failed to detect the misrigging.
NTSB Identification: ERA17FA148
This April 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
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There were several chances for this error to have been caught and corrected it is just sad that neither the mechanic, the IA (if different) and even the pilot never bothered to run that simple Controls Free and Correct check. So one less airplane in the fleet, one less active pilot and one more blot on the GA accident record.
It would seem to me that if the elevator controls cables were misrigged, when the pilot pulled back on the control stick the aircraft would of wanted to nose over because the elevator would of deflected down thus raising the tail and lowering the nose, right ?? So in order to take off, he would of needed to push the control forward in order to rotate..correct ? If in fact that was the case, why did he continue rolling down the runway in an effort to try and take off ? Just don’t make no sense….Duhhh
Just plain sad. Who was the A&P / IA that signed off the aircraft as airworthy? What PIC does not do a CS check before flight, especially first flight? These type of accidents aren’t not as infrequent as we’d like to believe and not limited to individuals.
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A pilot is dead, and that’s a damned shame, but this accident would have been so easy to avoid. What mechanic wouldn’t check control surface deflection and movement after the work was done? How could the mechanic sign off the work in the logs and return the aircraft to service as airworthy? After a two-year restoration, what pilot could be so antsy to fly that an extra five minutes during a preflight inspection (if one was even accomplished) could not be spent?
I recall about 30 years ago a Cessna 310 augured in after some heavy maintenance due to cross-rigged ailerons.
Anyone can make a mistake during maintenance, but that is, in part, what inspections and that “second pair of eyes” is for.
It is all so blatantly avoidable.
“hurry up” Nothing more need be said.
Low IQ leads to death. When I sit ready to take off I carefully ck to be sure the rudder ailerons etc are working correctly. Twice. This fool didn’t do this simple test. Also high speed taxi would have revealed the problem. And why didn’t he have other pilots ck it out? Obviously a foolish man with little understanding of how dangerous flying can be. Very sad.
It just amazes me that people can be such ass h**ls and have the audacity to call someone dumb. Let me tell you chef it could and does happen to professionals all around the globe. What makes you so special, probably a weekend pilot with a few thousand hrs.
You do know why something like this is called an accident, because that is what it t is, can happen to anyone, a 200 hr or 9000 hr pilot.
And to call a dead pilot stupid, nice going there champ.
Earnest,
You are a pompous idiot, and do not what your talking about. I know, your the best pilot on the field, your the best of the best. But you know nothing .
Wow… how in the world do you not check CS’s? I understand rushing though and missing this during routine flying but after a restoration?