Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Levittown, Puerto Rico 00918
Saturday, January 26, 2002 9:10 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, 5 minutes after takeoff, all roll control was lost at both pilot's yokes. The pilot chose a field for an emergency landing, decided against a rudder only turn into the prevailing wind, and landed straight ahead. The field was a coastal swamp area and the aircraft sustained landing gear and wing damage. Post crash examination revealed aileron control cable separation near the turning pulley located at the left side cockpit overhead. NTSB Materials Laboratory examination of the cable fracture site revealed extensive corrosion damage to individual wire strands, with many strands corroded completely through. The aircraft had undergone an annual inspection 31.2 flight hours prior to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of maintenance personnel to comply with aircraft manufacturer's inspection procedures, resulting in corrosion and separation of the aileron control cable in flight and the subsequent forced landing in a swamp.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/26/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 910 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Levittown |
| Event State | PUERTO RICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00918 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 182700N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0661200W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TSJU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12200 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA FSDO San Juan |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 26 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 924 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2002 10:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Juan |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99295 |
| NTSB Number | MIA02LA051 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17276429 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 11 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2201.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Civil Air Patrol, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 105 S. Hansell St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Montgomery |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36112 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TJIG |
| Departure City | San Juan |
| Departure State | PR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 905 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb - to cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 1 2002 3:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |