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MKC83FA216

1983-09-10 · TRENTON, Missouri, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TRX

Current FAA registration · N372T

Make / Model
PIPER PA-14
Year of manufacture
1948 · 35 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19551027
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A43CE2

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE ACFT HAD JUST RECEIVED EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE AT BUFFALO, MO, WHICH INCLUDED INTERNAL & EXTERNAL RECOVERING & AN STC MODIFICATION. DURING ARRIVAL AT TRENTON, MO, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED ON A SHORT FINAL APCH. AT A POSITION OF APRX 200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY & 75 FT AGL, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO PITCH UP TO THE LEFT, STALL, PITCH DOWN & IMPACT THE GROUND. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE FRONT ATTACHING POINT FOR THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CROSSOVER TUDE. THE CROSSOVER TUBE WAS DESIGNED AS A CONNECTING MEMBER BETWEEN THE LEFT & RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE CROSSOVER TUBE HAD ONLY BEEN INSERTED 7/8 INCH INTO THE FRONT ATTACHING POINT OF THE LEFT STABILIZER, BUT WAS INSERTED 4-7/8 INCHES INTO THE RIGHT STABILIZER. THE CONNECTING BOLT WAS STILL INSTALLED IN THE LEFT STABILIZER, BUT IT WAS LOCATED BEYOND THE EXTENSION OF THE CROSSOVER TUBE ON THAT SIDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1983_MKC83FA216.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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