Piper PA-32R-300 incident near Warrenton, Virginia, March 14, 2012
On March 14, 2012 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N1358H, was involved in an incident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Warrenton, Virginia (Warrenton-Fauquier Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's failure to identify stress corrosion cracking in the stabilator control cable during the most recent inspection, and the subsequent failure of the cable on the flight after the inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2012 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Virginia · Warrenton-Fauquier Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N1358H · no longer on the register · serial 32R7780155
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing flare, the pilot heard a "boom," the airplane's nose dropped, and the airplane contacted the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the lower stabilator control cable turnbuckle had fractured as a result of stress corrosion cracking. An annual inspection was completed on the airplane the day before the accident. According to the airframe logbook entry, the inspection was performed in accordance with the PA32R-300 inspection checklist, which required, in part, inspection of the stabilator cable terminals and turnbuckles. The NTSB issued recommendations in 2001 to the FAA regarding the failure of control cable turnbuckles and recommending issuance of an airworthiness directive to require inspections of affected aircraft. On August 2, 2012, the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking indicating the intention to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) that would require inspections of the stabilator control system and replacement of parts as necessary. The AD would be applicable for PA-28, PA-32, PA-34, and PA-44 airplanes.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Stabilizer control system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Stabilizer control system › Inadequate inspection
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,251 hours in all; 781 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,134 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,400 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 10,300 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,944 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2012; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEF Manassas VA at 7:05 pm
- Destination: HWY Warrenton VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from HWY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.