On June 21, 2005, a Piper PA-23-250 (registration N2521M) was involved in an aviation accident near Carizzo Springs, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the stabilator trim control rod due to internal corrosion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot with 1,403 hours noticed anomalous trim wheel movement and vibration during cruise. Both engines were feathered and a forced landing was conducted after in-flight loss of stabilator trim control. Post-accident examination revealed internal corrosion on the trim tab control rod.
Incident Description
During cruise flight, the pilot observed the trim wheel rotate nearly 360 degrees from its original position, then stop and rotate 180 degrees in the opposite direction. No pitch attitude changes accompanied these movements. Subsequently, the pilot felt a strong vibration moving forward and aft in the yoke, followed by a clacking sound. The pilot feathered both engines and performed a forced landing due to an in-flight loss of the stabilator trim control.
Examination Findings
Examination of the stabilator trim tab control rod revealed evidence of internal corrosion. Further examination showed that the corrosion had reduced the thickness of the load-carrying area of the stabilator trim tab control rod.
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