NTSB Found Control Cables Improperly Installed

The widow of a person who was fatally injured in an accident near Felts Field in Spokane, WA last year has filed a lawsuit against Piper Aircraft and Spokane-based JetProp LLC in connection with the post-maintenance-flight accident.

In its probable cause report, the NTSB said that a mechanic incorrectly installed the aileron cables on the aircraft, and then both the mechanic and the pilot did not properly check that the controls were correct prior to the accident flight.

The Spokane Spokesman-Review reports that the suit has been filed by the widow of Lyndon Amestoy, who was a passenger in the aircraft flown by Richard Runyon. Both were employees of Rocket Engineering.

The suit claims that Piper Aircraft and JetProp LLC, which regularly maintained the PA-46 350P, should have known that about design flaws in the aircraft. The suit states that the cables and bolts are all identical in the airplane, which allows them to be cross-connected. Aviation regulations require control cables to be distinctive and well marked, according to the suit.

Neither company was available for comment. The damages sought were not reported.

(Image from file)

FMI: Probable Cause Report