Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Peachtree Dekalb Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chamblee, Georgia 30341
Tuesady, May 11, 2004 16:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor reported full nose-down elevator deflection could not be achieved in cruise flight. The flight returned to the airport and landed without further incident. Examination revealed the threaded shaft of the nose gear steering bungee assembly was fractured, and the damaged component physically restricted the movement of the elevator control assembly. Metallurgical examination of the shaft revealed fatigue fractures in two locations with no evidence of hardness anomaly and no evidence of improper lubrication. Examination of the profile of the thread relief area of the shaft revealed the region was irregular and asymmetric, and a number of machining grooves were of smaller radii than the 0.050-inch radius specified in Cessna technical drawings. The shaft was absent of identifying markings or a part number, and maintenance logs for the airplane revealed no record of repair or replacement of the component. Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive (AD) 81-14-06 for the Cessna 172RG requires the replacement of part number 2467003-1 rudder trim/nose gear steering bungee with part number 2467003-6 rudder trim/nose gear steering bungee. Cessna Service Letter SE 80-99 states the new steering bungee part number 2467003-6 "includes a larger diameter jack screw shaft providing substantially greater unit strength and longer service life." Both the AD and the Service Letter are applicable to Cessna 172RG airplanes serial numbers 172RG0001 through 172RG0769. The incident airplane was serial number 172RG0775.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The fatigue fracture of the nosewheel bungee assembly, which restricted the movement of the elevator control. A factor was the inadequate equipment from an unknown source/manufacturer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 5/11/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chamblee |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30341 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335232N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0841807W |
| Event Location Airport | Peachtree DeKalb Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KPDK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 808 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1645 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLZU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1061 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2414 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLZU 111845Z 14004KT 4SM HZ SCT035 27/14 A30 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17528 |
| NTSB Notification Source | aircraft operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 17 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2005 2:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO - 11 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6562V |
| NTSB Number | ATL04IA138 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172RG0775 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 31 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 79.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 4999.1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aviation Atlanta, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 1712 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cumming |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30028 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KPDK |
| Departure City | Chamblee |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KPDK |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |