Cessna 140 N84BC

Summary

On 22 July 2021 at about 14:45 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N84BC was involved in an accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, United States. 2 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

22 July 2021 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Caddo Mills, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.0657, -96.2278

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N84BC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA450

Nobody was injured.

The missing vertical stabilizer hardware, which resulted in a severe uncommanded yawing motion that necessitated an emergency landing, during which the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that while on downwind in the traffic pattern, the airplane began to yaw to the right. He immediately took control of the airplane from the student pilot and applied full left aileron and rudder, which reduced the yaw, however, the airplane still would not fly straight. He performed an emergency landing to a field, but shortly after touching down, the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. A postaccident inspection found that the forward vertical stabilizer attach bolt (P/N AN4-5A), nut (P/N AN365-428) and shim (P/N 0430010) were missing. (See figure 1) As a result of the missing hardware, the vertical stabilizer became unseated and bent aft in flight, which caused the uncommanded yawing motion. The hardware was not recovered. Figure 1. Fin assembly. The pilot reported that he was unaware of any recent maintenance in the affected area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.