Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Baxley Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Baxley, Georgia 31513
Sunday, June 13, 2004 22:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While flying at 2300 feet, the pilot shut off the autopilot and immediately could not maintain pitch control and the airplane went into a series of uncontrollable gyrations. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane but was unsuccessful. The airplane collided with trees five miles west of Baxley Municipal Airport. During the post accident functional examination of the autopilot assembly disclosed that when the unit was engaged the pitch servo would only correct the pitch attitude in one direction. Internal examination of the pitch servo revealed that three transistors had been replaced and one transistor appeared original to the unit. Additionally, the functional check of the pitch trim servo solenoid revealed that the unit was not within the design specifications. According to the pilot operating handbook, if the autopilot is disengaged when opposing mistrim forces are encountered, the pilot may be required to exert control forces in excess of 50 pounds to maintain airplane attitude. The pilot will have to maintain this control force while he manually retrim the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The mechanical malfunction of the autopilot pitch servo, and the pilot's inability to maintain adequate control pressure to manually retrim the pitch attitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/13/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2245 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Baxley |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31513 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 314249N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0822337W |
| Event Location Airport | Baxley Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KBHC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 201 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2100 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAYS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 142 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18873 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 14 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 41 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2006 7:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8451E |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA126 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA 32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8113122 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 4 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 2666 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Richard Helminiak |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1160 Rall Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Toledo |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 43617 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Richard Helminiak |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1160 Rall Road |
| Operator City | Toledo |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 43617 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KUSE |
| Departure City | Wauseon |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KBHC |
| Destination City | Baxley |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2005 11:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |