Piper J3C-65 N27020

Summary

On 2 August 1983 at about 01:10 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N27020 was involved in an accident near Lily Lake, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 August 1983 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Lily Lake, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.9002, -88.5906

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N27020

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Maple Park → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI83FA346

2 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPORTED THAT A NEIGHBOR HAD FLOWN THE ACFT EARLIER IN THE DAY & HAD PROBLEMS ADJUSTING THE ELEVATOR TRIM WHEN AIRBORNE. THE PLT STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, HE CHECKED THE TRIM, BUT IT WORKED NORMALLY, SO HE SET IT FOR CRUISE & MADE A NORMAL TAKEOFF. WHILE TURNING TO A X-WIND LEG, HE TRIED TO ADJUST THE ELEVATOR TRIM, BUT IT WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE PLT THEN TRIED TO RELIEVE THE AIRLOAD ON THE STABILIZOR BY PULLING BACK ON THE STICK TO GO INTO A CLIMB, THEN RELEASING THE BACK PRESSURE TO PUT THE ACFT IN A NEAR ZERO 'G' CONDITION. HE WAS STILL UNABLE TO MOVE THE TRIM. THE PLT PULLED UP AGAIN, BUT A LITTLE HARDER. HOWEVER, THIS TIME THE ACFT STALLED & WENT INTO A SPIN. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER BEFORE THE ACFT HIT THE GROUND. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS IN A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN POSITION, BUT NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS DETECTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.