Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Greeley/Weld Cty Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greeley, Colorado 80631
Wednesday, February 21, 1990 8:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
N3554P WAS ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT AFTER THE RIGHT WING WAS REPAIRED. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF AND WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL PRIOR TO THE GROUND IMPACT. THE A&P MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE REPAIRS, RE ASSEMBLED THE RIGHT WING AILERON CONTROL CABLES PER THE PIPER SERVICE MANUAL. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AILERON CONTROL SYSTEM REVEALED THE RIGHT WING CONTROL CABLES WERE REVERSED ON THE AILERON BELLCRANK, RESULTING IN BOTH AILERONS MOVING THE SAME DIRECTION (EITHER UP OR DOWN) WHEN THE CONTROL WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE IMPROPER IDENTIFICATION OF PARTS IN THE PIPER PA-31-350 SERVICE MANUAL PERTAINING TO THE AILERON CABLES. THIS DISCREPANCY RESULTED IN THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE AILERON CABLES ON THE RIGHT AILERON BELLCRANK BY A MECHANIC DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE RIGHT WING. THE IMPROPER CONNECTION RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL BY THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF. ALSO CAUSAL TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE INADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM BY A SECOND MECHANIC WITH INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION, AND THE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM BY THE PILOT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/21/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 815 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | GREELEY |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80631 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GREELEY/WELD CTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CXY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 4658 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2090 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 21 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43536 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3554P |
| NTSB Number | DEN90FA066 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 318052052 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 22598 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AVIATION SERVICES WEST, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 901 S NAVAJO BOX 1385 |
| Aircraft Owner City | PAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86040 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BEEGLES AIRCRAFT SERVICES, INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 711 CROSIER AVE. |
| Operator City | GREELEY |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80631 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GXY |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | GXY |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 6210 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |