Levittown, PR, USA
N99295
Cessna 172P
According to the pilot, 5 minutes after takeoff, all roll control was lost at both pilot's yokes. The pilot chose a field for an emergency landing, decided against a rudder only turn into the prevailing wind, and landed straight ahead. The field was a coastal swamp area and the aircraft sustained landing gear and wing damage. Post crash examination revealed aileron control cable separation near the turning pulley located at the left side cockpit overhead. NTSB Materials Laboratory examination of the cable fracture site revealed extensive corrosion damage to individual wire strands, with many strands corroded completely through. The aircraft had undergone an annual inspection 31.2 flight hours prior to the accident.
On January 26, 2002, about 0910 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 172P, N99295, registered to the Civil Air Patrol, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed while maneuvering in the vicinity of Levittown, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage, and the private-rated pilot and commercially-rated safety pilot received minor injuries. The flight departed San Juan's Isla Grande Airport about 5 minutes before the accident. According to the pilot, shortly after departure, he gave control of the aircraft to his safety pilot while he donned and adjusted the "foggles". They both felt a jolt, and the safety pilot stated that he had lost aileron control. The pilot retook aircraft control and commanded the safety pilot to declare an emergency and communicate with ATC while he chose a suitable field to perform an emergency landing. An attempt to turn the aircraft into the wind using rudder only was abandoned, and the pilot decided to land the aircraft straight ahead. The touchdown was to a swampy area, and the left wing and nose strut were substantially damaged. According to FAA inspectors, postcrash examination of the aircraft revealed a separated left aileron main control cable above the cockpit headliner at a turning pulley near the left rear door post. The fractured cable was removed and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for failure analysis. According to the NTSB Materials Laboratory report, detailed examination of the individual wire strands that form the .125 inch diameter, 7X19 constructed aileron control cable revealed extensive corrosion damage at the broken wire ends, with many of the wires corroded completely through. One of the wire strands was corroded completely through about 1 inch from the primary separation. The laboratory report is an attachment to this report. Aircraft maintenance records revealed that the aircraft underwent an annual inspection on October 11, 2001 at a total aircraft time of 2170.0 hours, or 31.2 hours prior to the accident. The Cessna model series 172 service manual calls for 200 hour inspection intervals for aileron cable tension, routing, fraying, corrosion, and turnbuckle safety.
the failure of maintenance personnel to comply with aircraft manufacturer's inspection procedures, resulting in corrosion and separation of the aileron control cable in flight and the subsequent forced landing in a swamp.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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