Lapeer, MI, USA
N5832N
ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 114
The pilot was conducting a postmaintenance test flight with the owner acting as copilot. During the landing roll, the pilot's seat came loose and slid full aft. The right wing came up while the pilot's hand was still on the flight controls. He instructed the copilot to take the controls and keep the airplane on the runway. The left wingtip and aileron sustained minor damage during the incident sequence; however, the damage was not discovered until 3 weeks after the incident. An examination of the seat-latching mechanism revealed that the metal rod that locked the seat in place was bent. When aft pressure was applied to the seat, the bent rod released from the latch hole in the seat track, which allowed the seat to slide.
On May 21, 2013, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a Rockwell International 114 airplane, N5832N, struck its left wingtip on the ground during landing at the Dupont-Lapeer Airport (D95), Lapeer, Michigan. The pilot and copilot were not injured and the airplane sustained minor damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from D95 about 1300. The pilot stated that in October of 2012, he flew the airplane with the owner and the left seat slid full aft during climb-out. He told the owner to have the seat fixed before the next flight. According to Lapeer Aviation, they told the owner to have the seat rails replaced, but the owner declined. In May of 2013, the pilot flew with the owner again to diagnose auto-pilot system issues. The pilot asked if the owner had the seat fixed, to which the owner replied yes. The seat did not move during the flight. On the day of the incident, the pilot was conducting a test flight after maintenance was performed on the auto-pilot system. During the one hour test flight, there were no issues with the seat. During landing rollout, the pilot's seat came loose and slid full aft. The right wing came up while the pilots hand was still on the flight controls. He instructed the copilot to take the controls and keep the airplane on the runway. The copilot was able to lower the right wing and land the airplane. They did not feel or hear anything unusual so the pilot taxied the airplane to the hangar. The left wingtip and aileron sustained minor damage during the incident sequence and was not discovered until three weeks later. The seat rail was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and it was determined that the metal rod, which latched the seat in place, was bent. When aft pressure was applied to the seat the bent rod would release from the latch hole and allow the seat to come loose.
The malfunction of the pilot’s seat-latching mechanism due to a bent rod, which allowed the seat to come loose and slide full aft and resulted in a temporary loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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