Piper PA-32R-301T incident near Mount Pleasant, Texas, August 1, 2010
On August 1, 2010 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, registered N4184X, was involved in an incident during enroute near Mount Pleasant, Texas (Mt Pleasant Regional Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of an aileron control cable due to a seized idler pulley bearing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2010 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Pleasant, Texas · Mt Pleasant Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T · all PA-32R-301Ts on the register
- Registration
- N4184X · registry record · serial 3257200
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was in level flight with the autopilot engaged when the airplane began an uncommanded roll. The pilot disengaged the autopilot and found that the airplane’s ailerons were inoperative. The pilot made a successful landing using the rudder for directional and roll control. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right aileron primary control cable was severed where it contacted an idler pulley. That pulley would not rotate due to an out-of-tolerance idler pulley outer bearing that restricted the rotation of the pulley. It is likely that the control cable sliding against the seized pulley caused the cable to wear through. The airplane manufacturer issued a maintenance alert following this incident that highlighted the importance of proper and recurring inspections of the flight control cables and pulleys.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute defining event
- Inflight upset during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Aileron control system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Aileron control system › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 644 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 99 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 539 as pilot in command; 99 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,795 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Central Logistics LLC
The flight
- Departed from: JXI Gilmer TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: OSA Mount Pleasant TX
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from OSA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.