Piper PA-34-200 N997BW
8 December 2005 · Columbia, South Carolina, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 December 2005 at about 05:44 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N997BW, operated by Package Express, was involved in an accident near Columbia, South Carolina, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 05:44
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Columbia, South Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)
- Coordinates
- 33.9386, -81.1194
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200
- Registration
- N997BW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Package Express
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Columbia → Charleston
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- ATL06LA021
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Maintenance personnel's improper installation of the stabilator trim arm which resulted in separation of a bolt, loss of control during takeoff, and a subsequent hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During takeoff the pilot rotated the airplane, and the airplane pitched up violently. The pilot lost control and the airplane climbed to approximately 200 feet. The pilot regained control of the airplane and conducted an emergency landing. The airplane collided with the runway, and veered off the right side of the departure end of runway. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the nose gear strut punctured through the forward bulkhead, and cockpit instrument panel. Examination of the stabilator trim revealed one of the two bolts required on the stabilator trim arm was missing. Review of aircraft logbooks revealed the last inspection conducted on the airplane was a 100-hour completed on November 29, 2005. In addition to the 100-hour inspection, a repair was performed on the stabilator. Review of maintenance records showed that the airplane had flown 13 flight hours since the stabilator repair and prior to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-34 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul 2005 | Piper PA-34-220T | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Jul 2005 | Piper PA-34-220T | Titusville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 2005 | Piper PA-34-220T | Tomball, Texas, United States | V & R Enterprises, LLC | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Jun 2005 | Piper PA-34-200T | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Jul 2005 | Piper PA-34-200T | Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States | Gateway Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2005 | Piper PA-34-200 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Falcom Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2005 | Piper PA-28-181 | Pageland, South Carolina, United States | Long Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 2005 | Anderson MINI MUSTANG | Mullins, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Swing Brian S QUICKIE Q2 | Beaufort, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 2005 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Macedonia, South Carolina, United States | David Melvin Hill | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Piper PA-22-160 | Bennettsville, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 2005 | Beechcraft BE-76 | Greer, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |