NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 28, 2001, at 1645 central daylight time, a Piper PA46-500TP (Malibu Meridian) single-engine airplane, N61PK, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at the Rockwall Municipal Airport near Rockwall, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by Robert D. Rash and Associates of Rowlett, Texas. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at 1515.

The pilot reported that after touchdown on runway 17, the airplane started to veer right. Rudder control inputs were ineffective, and the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. With the airplane heading toward hangars and bystanders, the pilot elected to abort the landing. He applied full power, and the airplane began to turn back toward the runway. The airplane drug the left wing along an embankment, continued onto the departure end of the runway and struck a runway end identifier light. The airplane then crossed a road, struck a fence, small trees, and continued over uneven terrain collapsing the landing gear before coming to rest upright.

The pilot stated that at the time of the accident, the wind was from 180 degrees at 5 knots.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument ratings. The pilot held a valid third class medical certificate, issued July 26, 2000. The certificate stipulated a limitation to wear corrective lenses when operating an aircraft.

The pilot's most recent biennial flight review was completed on April 28, 2001, at the end of the Malibu Meridian Initial Training administered by SimCom, in Vero Beach, Florida. According to the pilot, the training consisted of approximately 15.0 hours in the accident airplane, which the pilot had recently purchased.

The pilot reported that he had accumulated a total flight time of 4,804 hours, of which 20.0 hours were in a PA-46-500TP airplane. The pilot further reported that he had flown two PA-46 airplanes more than 3,100 hours in the past 15 years.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian (S/N 4697053) was an all metal, retractable landing gear, low wing airplane. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6-A-42A turbo prop engine, rated at 500 horsepower, and a Hartzell, four-blade, constant speed reversible propeller. On April 16, 2001, the airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate. The airplane was delivered to the pilot on April 25, 2001, with a total of 14.4 hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated a total of 32.4 hours.

AERODROME INFORMATION

The Rockwall Municipal Airport is located 2 miles east of Rockwall, at an elevation of 574 feet. The airport has one asphalt runway, 17/35, which is 3,373 feet long and 45 feet wide. The runway has a distinctive incline that crests near mid length.

WRECKAGE IMPACT INFORMATION

Examination of the runway revealed three skid marks starting approximately 1,641 feet from the approach end of runway 17. The skid marks veered to the right, exited the runway about 2,007 feet from the approach end, and tire marks continued in the grass toward a low area. The embankment on the left side of the low area displayed a scar along the top for a short distance. Tire marks were found beyond the embankment heading to the left toward the departure end of the runway. A tire mark continued onto the runway and toward the departure end of the runway, then continued across uneven terrain into the field south of the runway.

Examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing leading edge was damaged. Both the left and right wing tips were damaged, and the left landing gear actuator was displaced upward through the wing. The nose landing gear was folded aft into the wheel well, the right main landing gear was folded outward, and the left main landing gear was folded inward. The bottom of the fuselage was damaged, and the fuselage was wrinkled aft of the left wing and forward of the cabin door. All four propeller blades were bent aft 90 degrees. Flight control continuity was established. An examination of the nose landing gear assembly revealed that the support structure (tubing) was separated from the hydraulic actuator. The nose landing gear hydraulic actuator and mating areas of gear mount tubing were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC, for examination.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Examination of the nose landing gear hydraulic actuator and mating areas of gear mount tubing at the NTSB Materials Laboratory revealed that the tubular actuator mounting structure was fractured on either side of the actuator. All of the fractures were at or near assembly welds between separate tubes. Optical examinations found that the fractures were consistent with tensile/bending overstress separations. Most of the fractures followed the edges (toe) of the welds around the tubes in the heat affected zones of the welds. Although the fractures intersected a few small and widely spaced gas pores, no indications of preexisting cracking or other weld related discontinuities were apparent.

New Piper Aircraft's engineering test department conducted numerous taxi and flight tests in an attempt to duplicate what the pilot reported. Tests consisted of normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, high-speed taxi testing, and landing and taxi tests using "abnormal, abusive nose steering techniques." No anomalies were noted, and the pull to the right experienced by the accident airplane was not duplicated.

According to New Piper Aircraft, there have been reports of "temporary loss of directional control immediately following nose wheel touch down during landings, primarily when cross wind conditions are present and/or when applying full propeller reverse. A contributing cause of the directional control problems has been identified as insufficient nose gear steering authority, which under certain conditions, can allow the nose gear steering rotation to momentarily exceed the pilot's input." Therefore, on January 28, 2002, New Piper Aircraft issued Service Bulletin No. 1106, which "recommends mandatory incorporation" of nose gear installation modifications that increase the pilot's steering authority.

ADDITIONAL DATA

The owner signed the final wreckage release on November 19, 2001.

NTSB Probable Cause

the loss of directional control during landing roll as a result of insufficient nose gear steering authority.