Accident Sequence
On September 20, 2024, at 1548 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N73154, sustained substantial damage when it overran the runway and nosed over in a grass field near Ackerman, Mississippi. The private pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot had rented the airplane for a cross-country flight. During the flight, the control yoke became hard to move and the airplane lost electrical power. The pilot reported that the yoke could only be moved forward and aft about one half inch, and the pitch trim wheel became loose and moved without resistance. The pilot diverted to Ackerman Choctaw County Airport (9M4) and circled the airport with the engine power at idle to reduce altitude.
After circling twice, the pilot attempted a landing on runway 19 (3,000 ft by 75 ft, dry asphalt), but the airplane was too high. The pilot performed a go-around, circled a third time, and during the second approach placed the airplane into a slip to further reduce altitude. The airplane landed about halfway down the runway at 83 knots with wing flaps fully retracted due to lack of electrical power. The pilot applied brakes, but the airplane overran the departure end and nosed over in a grass field. Substantial damage included damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer.
Postaccident Examination
During recovery, there was no control interference when the elevator was moved through full travel while the airplane was inverted. However, when placed upright, there was about 6 inches of free play before the left control yoke moved. The fuselage had longitudinal deformation from impact forces, reducing the supportive length of the elevator control cable.
Examination of the flight control system revealed the elevator trim control cable was separated in the area under the cockpit seats, with rust present. The elevator control cable showed no separation, distortion, fraying, localized wear, or asymmetric wear. The elevator flight control cable pulleys rotated freely without abnormal wear. Instrument panel wiring near the control column had excess length, with wiring within ½ inch of flight control cables and pulleys; one wire near a pulley exhibited chaffing.
The autopilot pitch servo clutch was not engaged, and testing met specifications. The autopilot disconnect switch operated normally.
Examination of the electrical system revealed the alternator had power, and frayed ground wires were covered with electrical tape. One terminal fell off the alternator when disconnected during the examination. The alternator case bolts were automotive bolts, longer than prescribed aviation bolts, and the brushes were copper (automotive) rather than silver (aviation). The alternator ran on a test bench with no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Information
The pilot received her certificate in 1997 and returned to flying in 2020, taking instruction to relearn. The owner provided a checkout in the airplane; she last flew 12 days before the accident. Several days before, she texted the owner about the GPS and autopilot models and watched YouTube videos on operating the Garmin 650 and refreshing memory on the autopilot and avionics.