N4515T
Piper PA-34-200
The pilot reported that he had been doing touch-and-go landings for an hour when he experienced a loss of elevator control during climbout. He said that the airplane had climbed to 400 feet when the control yoke stuck. Efforts, to regain control of the airplane failed. After transmitting several 'may day' calls, the pilot prepared the airplane for ditching. The airplane ditched in about 130 feet of water 200 meters east of the Fajardo shoreline. The airplane was not recovered for examination. The pilot did not report any previous flight control problems with the airplane.
On July 6, 1997, at 0830 atlantic standard time, a Piper PA-34-200, N4515T, ditched in 130 feet of water during an attempted takeoff from the Diego Jimenez Airport in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The personal flight operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight departed Fajardo, Puerto Rico, at 0730. The pilot reported that he had been doing touch and go landings for an hour when he experienced a loss of elevator control during climbout. The pilot said that he had climbed to 400 feet when the control yoke stuck. Efforts, to regain control of the airplane, failed. After transmitting several "may day" calls, the pilot prepared the airplane for ditching. The airplane ditched in about 130 feet of water 200 meters east of the Fajardo shoreline. The airplane was not recovered for examination. The pilot did not report any previous flight control problems with the airplane.
a malfunction (jamming) of the elevator flight control system for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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