Piper PA-44-180 incident near New Bern, North Carolina, August 16, 2007
On August 16, 2007 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N30521, suffered minor damage in an incident near New Bern, North Carolina (Craven County Regional 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
A failure of the stabilator control cable turnbuckle terminal fitting due to corrosion. Contributing to the accident were the mechanic's inadequate annual inspection, and the aircraft manufacturer's failure to provide adequate information in its maintenance manuals regarding the inspection of control cable terminals for corrosion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2007 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Bern, North Carolina · Craven County Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N30521 · registry record · serial 44-7995076
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb, the certified flight instructor (CFI) noticed very little resistance from the stabilator; however, he was able to land the airplane uneventfully using stabilator trim. Examination of the airplane revealed that the stabilator control cable turnbuckle terminal fitting had failed due to corrosion. The National Transportation Safety Board had issued a recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 6 years prior to the incident. The Safety Board recommended that the FAA issue an airworthiness directive (AD) to require recurrent visual inspections for evidence of corrosion on control cable terminals, and the inspections should be performed after removal of any safety wire or safety clips on the terminals. At that time, the airplane manufacturer had committed to revising its maintenance manuals to include similar instruction. At the time of the incident, the airplane manufacturer had issued a service letter, but had not yet updated their maintenance manuals; and the FAA had issued a non-mandatory Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin in lieu of an AD. A mechanic performed an annual inspection of the incident airplane, and returned it to service, 21 days prior to the incident. The mechanic stated that he inspected the incident airplane's control cables for damage during its recent annual inspection; however, he believed he missed the corrosion on the turnbuckle terminal fitting due to a safety wire that covered it. The mechanic added that when he performed the annual inspection he was not aware of a manufacturer service letter or an FAA SAIB regarding the inspection for corrosion.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all; 318 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 2,958 as pilot in command; 1,565 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 330 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 280 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,695 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWN New Bern NC at 10:30 pm
- Destination: EWN New Bern NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 6,004 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from EWN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.