Piper PA-23-250 N2521M

Summary

On 21 June 2005 at about 20:45 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N2521M was involved in an accident near Carizzo Springs, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 2005 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Carizzo Springs, Texas, United States

Coordinates

28.5222, -99.8222

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N2521M

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carizzo Springs → Pecos

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

DFW05LA167

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the stabilator trim control rod due to internal corrosion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight the 1,403-hour pilot noticed that the trim wheel had rotated almost 360 degrees from its original position, stopped, and rotated 180 degrees in the opposite direction with no pitch attitude changes. The pilot then felt a strong vibration moving forward and aft in the yoke, followed by a clacking sound. The pilot feathered both engines and subsequently made a forced landing following an in-flight loss of the stabilator trim control. Examination of the stabilator trim tab control rod, revealed evidence of internal corrosion at the stabilator trim tab rod. Further examination revealed evidence that the corrosion had reduced the thickness of the load carrying area of the stabilator trim tab control rod.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.