Piper PA-28-181 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, July 7, 2003
On July 7, 2003 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N288PA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona. It was an instructional 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 disengagement of the left control wheel from the control column, which was due to the attaching screw backing out of the nut plate. Also causal was the manufacturer's inadequate design of the installation and the improper length of the screw.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2003 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N288PA · registry record · serial 2843502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost aileron control while practicing commercial pilot maneuvers, resulting in a collision with a tree during the subsequent emergency landing. The pilot stated that he moved the control wheel to the right, but the airplane did not respond. He looked at the wing as he continued moving the control wheel and realized that the ailerons were not operating. He landed the airplane on a dirt road using rudder and throttle to control movement. During the landing, the right wing impacted a tree. The design of the control wheel to control column interface utilizes a nut plate installed inside the column. A screw and collar are then inserted through the bottom of the control wheel and into the nut plate inside the column to secure it to the column. Various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Society Automotive Engineers (SAE) publications note that for proper clamping action at least three threads should show above the nut. FAA publication AC 43.12 notes that screws and bolts should ideally be put in from the top down when at all possible to prevent the effects of gravity and vibration from loosening the fasteners. During an on scene examination of the airplane, the FAA inspector found the attaching screw and collar from the left control wheel on the floor. The inspector moved the left control wheel and found that the column would not move. He moved the column and verified aileron continuity. Post accident examination of the control wheel attachment screw, and several others from the same make and model airplane, revealed that there was a slight difference in length between them all. It was also noted that some had different letter markings on the screw head. On average, when the screws were fully torqued, between 1 and 1 1/2 threads were exposed beyond the top of the nut plate. The torque of the fastenings was checked on all 35 Pipers in the operators fleet, which consists of 19 PA-28-181's and 11 PA-44-180's. Ten control wheel screws were found to be loose. The screws turned 1/8 to 1/4 revolution before coming up to torque. A number of other flight schools were contacted, and all found loose screws that required a 1/8 to 1/4 revolution turn before coming up to torque.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 94 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,802.0 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 5, 2003; 1.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pan Am International Flight Academy
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 7:15 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DVT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N288PA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.