At 15:45 PST, a Piper PA-28-180 porpoised during landing on runway 26 and suffered substantial damage. The two occupants were not injured. A witness told investigators that the aircraft came in to land and flared approximately 10 feet above the runway and stalled. The pilot said that he did not have rudder control after landing and veered off the side of the runway. The inspector found that the rudder bellcrank was not attached.
Dec. 18, Big Bear, Calif. / Piper PA-28-180 Archer
At 15:45 PST, a Piper PA-28-180 porpoised during landing on runway 26 and suffered substantial damage. The two occupants were not injured. A witness told investigators that the aircraft came in to land and flared approximately 10 feet above the runway and stalled. The pilot said that he did not have rudder control after landing and veered off the side of the runway. The inspector found that the rudder bellcrank was not attached....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-28-180 suffered substantial damage during landing after porpoising on runway 26, though its two occupants were uninjured.
- The incident involved the aircraft flaring high, stalling, and subsequently veering off the runway due to a reported loss of rudder control.
- Investigators determined that a detached rudder bellcrank was the likely mechanical failure contributing to the loss of control.
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