Skip to content

ERA20CA246

2020-07-13 · Cortland, New York, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport N03

Current FAA registration · N2716P

Make / Model
PIPER PA-22-150
Year of manufacture
1957 · 63 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570624
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2AD6B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The mechanic’s incorrect rigging of the aileron control cables, which resulted in a reversal of aileron control inputs applied by the pilot during the takeoff. Also causal was the mechanic’s inadequate post-maintenance inspection and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and before takeoff check, which failed to detect the misrigging.

Factual narrative

The pilot was performing a post-maintenance test flight after a "lengthy restoration" of the airplane had been completed by a mechanic, who accompanied him on the flight. After takeoff, the airplane did not respond in accordance with the pilot’s control inputs, so he elected to immediately land the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground off the departure end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the aileron control cables had been rigged opposite of the proper orientation prescribed in the airplane’s illustrated parts catalog. Both the pilot and the mechanic stated that when they conducted flight control checks prior to the flight, they confirmed deflection of the ailerons, but that they each failed to confirm that the aileron deflection corresponded correctly to the input at the control yoke. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-Aileron control system-Incorrect service/maintenance
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Maintenance-Installation-Maintenance personnel
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Post maintenance inspection-Maintenance personnel

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA20CA246.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). All research papers