On June 4, 1990, a Piper PA-18-150 (registration N4720A) operated by Norman Ranch Company was involved in an aviation accident near Douglas, WY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aileron control cables had been inadvertently crossed during reassembly. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane recovered with new fabric and being ferried to a ranch crashed after a steep right bank. Witnesses reported no preflight check. Investigation found aileron control cables were inadvertently crossed during reassembly.
Incident Overview
An airplane that had been completely recovered with new fabric was being ferried back to the pilot's ranch when it crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 15 to 30 feet before banking steeply to the right and impacting the ground.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses stated that the pilot did not perform a preflight inspection before departure. No other details regarding the pilot's actions or the flight preparation were provided.
Examination Findings
Post-crash examination of the flight control system revealed that the aileron control cables had been inadvertently crossed during the reassembly process following the fabric recovery. This misconfiguration would have caused the ailerons to move in the opposite direction of the pilot's control inputs, likely leading to the loss of control.
Probable cause
The aileron control cables had been inadvertently crossed during reassembly.
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