According to the Designated Pilot Examiner, following steep turn maneuvers during a check ride for a multi-engine rating, he and the flight instructor heard a “loud metallic bang” from the tail of the Piper PA-34-200 and the control yoke abruptly went to the full nose-up position.
He told investigators the nose of the airplane pitched up rapidly and the stall warning went off as they entered an accelerated stall.
He took control of the airplane and applied full power to recover from the stall, at which time they heard another loud bang from the tail and the nose of the airplane pitched abruptly down.
He reduced power to idle, there was another bang, and once again the airplane pitched up uncontrollably. This time he did not add power and the nose of the airplane pitched down, but not as severely and he was able to use the engine power to dampen the pitch oscillations.
Unable to maintain full control of the airplane, he elected for an emergency, off-airport landing near Coldspring, Texas.
While on the final approach, as the airplane clipped the tops of trees, the DPE pulled the mixture controls to cutoff. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced then slid through a rough, muddy field, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage.
The DPE and flight instructor sustained serious injuries in the crash.
A post-accident examination revealed that the bolt that connects the stabilator trim rod assembly to the stabilator link assembly was missing.
A review of maintenance records revealed two maintenance logbook entries for the elevator trim wheel cable becoming unspooled, the first on March 14, 2023, and the second on March 23, 2023. After each repair, a functional check flight was accomplished with no discrepancies noted.
In an interview with the mechanic from the March 23 repair, he stated that he did not disconnect or otherwise perform maintenance on the affected control rod or linkage.
The pilot examiner stated that during the preflight inspection, no anomalies were noted with the trim linkage assembly.
Following the accident, the flight school inspected all PA-34 airplanes in its fleet and replaced the affected bolt on each airplane.
Probable Cause: The stabilator trim rod assembly separated from the stabilator link assembly due to a missing connecting bolt, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain pitch control of the airplane.
NTSB Identification: 107813
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This May 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
