Incident Overview
On May 21, 2013, at approximately 1400 eastern daylight time, a Rockwell International 114 airplane, registration N5832N, struck its left wingtip on the ground during landing at Dupont-Lapeer Airport (D95) in Lapeer, Michigan. The pilot and copilot were not injured, and the airplane sustained minor damage. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from D95 about 1300.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, in October 2012, he flew the airplane with the owner, and the left seat slid fully aft during climb-out. The pilot instructed the owner to have the seat fixed before the next flight. Lapeer Aviation advised the owner to replace the seat rails, but the owner declined.
In May 2013, the pilot flew again with the owner to diagnose auto-pilot system issues. The pilot asked if the seat had been repaired, and the owner replied affirmatively. The seat did not move during that flight.
On the day of the incident, the pilot was conducting a test flight following auto-pilot maintenance. During the one-hour test flight, no seat issues occurred. However, during the landing rollout, the pilot's seat came loose and slid fully aft. The right wing rose while the pilot's hand was still on the controls. The pilot instructed the copilot to take control and keep the airplane on the runway. The copilot managed to lower the right wing and complete the landing. The pilot did not feel or hear anything unusual and taxied the airplane to the hangar. The left wingtip and aileron sustained minor damage, which was discovered three weeks later.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the seat rail and found that the metal rod latching the seat in place was bent. When aft pressure was applied, the bent rod would release from the latch hole, allowing the seat to slide freely.