Piper PA-14 N4246H

Summary

On 15 April 2009 at about 03:35 local time, a Piper PA-14 registered N4246H, operated by Andrews, Tyler E, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, 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.

Date

15 April 2009 at 03:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Merrill Field (MRI)

Coordinates

61.2136, -149.8439

Aircraft

Piper PA-14

Registration

N4246H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Andrews, Tyler E

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09LA032

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to the pilot's seat sliding back during takeoff as a result of maintenance personnel's incorrect installation of the seat's forward track stop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot said that his seat slid back when he applied power for takeoff and that he was unable to reach the rudder pedals to maintain directional control, causing the airplane to ground-loop to the left and the right wing to strike the ground. The airplane sustained structural damage to the right wing during the accident. The pilot said that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane said that the front seats of the accident airplane had been modified with adjustable seat tracks with FAA field approval. He said that the mechanical seat stop, which was supposed to be installed on the left track, had been installed on the right track. The stop was needed to keep the seat from being pulled too far forward. Because the stop was installed on the wrong track, he said the pilot was able to pull the seat locking pin forward of the last locking hole. The locking pin fell between two screw heads, giving it the feeling of being secured. He said that during acceleration the locking pin jumped over the screw head, and the seat slid back.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.