Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Palm Coast, Florida 32164
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 13:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 17, 2013, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200, N767PE, experienced in-flight tail vibrations near Palm Coast, Florida. The airplane subsequently landed without structural damage at Flagler County Airport (XFL), Palm Coast, Florida. The flight instructor and the private pilot under multi-engine instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight, which departed Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Daytona Beach, Florida, and was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the flight instructor, the airplane was initially about 5,000 feet in a “clean” configuration with the pilot under instruction recovering from minimum control airspeed condition. There were then two “kicks” in the rudder system, which the pilots confirmed did not come from either of them. The pilot under instruction then heard a “snap”, and the rudder pedals began to “pump” full deflection both right and left.
The flight instructor took control of the airplane and found that neither the application of full rudder nor the use of both feet to neutralize the deflections had any effect. Even with both pilots trying to neutralize the rudders, they could not overcome the deflections.
The flight instructor diverted the airplane to XFL, subsequently landing with 25-degree flaps without further incident. There was minimum rudder control during the approach, with the rudder pedals still pumping back and forth throughout the landing. Once on the ground, full rudder control was again available.
On the ground, the rudder trim tab control rod was found to be fractured near the trim tab end. The control rod was replaced, and subsequent flights revealed no further rudder anomalies. Remnants of the control rod end were forwarded to the NTSB for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 7/17/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Palm Coast |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32164 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 293607N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0811230W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1250 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 140 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OMN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| 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) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KOMN 171650Z 08012KT 10SM SCT020 29/23 A3020 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2013 9:41AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N767PE |
| NTSB Number | ERA13IA326 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-34-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34-7350042 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 5 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 11575 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DAYTONA AIRCRAFT LEASING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 561 PEARL HARBOR DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | DAYTONA BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32114-3845 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | PHOENIX EAST AVIATION, LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 561 PEARL HARBOR DRIVE |
| Operator City | DAYTONA BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32114 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | DAB |
| Departure City | Daytona Beach |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | DAB |
| Destination City | Daytona Beach |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2013 9:41AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |