On August 22, 2011, about 1600 central daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 601P, N8076J, experienced a vibration after takeoff from the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (E38), Alpine, Texas. Following a return to the airport, the airplane experienced a hard landing and sustained substantial damage to both wings. The private pilot, a second pilot, and the sole passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight destined for the Houston Southwest Airport (AXH), Houston, Texas.

The pilot reported that after takeoff he felt a vibration in the airplane’s controls. The pilot elected to return to the departure airport for a precautionary landing. While on short final the airplane impacted a fence followed by a hard landing to the runway. During landing both main landing gear were pushed through the upper wing skins and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently exited the runway before coming to rest in an upright position.

A post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the bolt holding the rudder trim tab to the actuator connecting rod was missing. The absence of this bolt would allow the trim tab to swing freely on its hinge. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot informed him that during the preflight inspection he observed that the rudder trim system was inoperative. Unable to center the rudder trim tab, the pilot elected to remove the bolt before takeoff. The pilot further reported that he was planning to have the trim system repaired back at his home base.