On May 2, 1996, a Piper PA-28R-201T (registration N175WW) was involved in an aviation accident near Peyton, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The valve stem had not completely bonded to the tube, leading to separation. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported wobbling after landing, followed by a right veer and wing strike on a taxiway sign. Postflight inspection revealed a flat right tire with a separated valve stem.
Accident Details
The pilot reported that after making a normal landing, the airplane began wobbling. It then veered slowly to the right, and the right wing struck a taxiway sign.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot stated that he had checked the tire pressures two weeks before the accident and found them correctly inflated to 30 psi. Additionally, the tires appeared normal during his preflight inspection prior to the accident flight.
Postflight Inspection
A postflight inspection revealed that the right tire was flat. When the hub cap was removed, the valve stem fell out. It had separated from the tire tube. The pilot indicated that it appeared the valve stem had not completely bonded to the tube.
Probable cause
The valve stem had not completely bonded to the tube, leading to separation.