Adopted: January 10, 1944

File No. 605-43

REPORT OF THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

on the

Investigation of an Accident Involving Aircraft During A Local Instruction Flight

Instructor Adele Thorell and her student, Jack Dillard Payne, were seriously injured in an accident which occurred approximately 1 1/2 miles west of Michaud, Louisiana, at about 5 10 p.m. on February 26, 1943. The instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, 0-80 h.p. and flight instructor ratings. She had accumulated approximately 370 solo hours, all in the type of aircraft involved, Payne, War Training Service elementary trainee, held a student pilot certificate and was reported to have flown approximately 50 hours prier to enrolling for this training. The aircraft, a Taylorcraft BL, NC 23609, owned by Hobley-Maynard Air Service, Inc., was demolished.

Instructor Thorell and Student Payne took off from the New Orleans Airport at about 4:30 p.m. for the purpose of practicing maneuvers in an area approximately 5 miles southeast of the airport. About 40 minutes later, the student put the plane into a spin at an altitude of 2500 feet. After completing two turns of a right spin left rudder was applied to effect recovery, at which time the occupants heard a snapping sound and the rudder controls became slack and ineffective. The spin continued and partial recovery was effected just before the plane crashed nose-first in a swamp.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left rudder cable was badly frayed in the area of travel on the pulley and as a result had parted at a point approximately 10 inches from the rudder pedal. The pulley and adjacent portion of the cable were covered by a metal guard plate, which had to be removed before inspection of this part of the control system could be accomplished. This evidently had not been done in periodic inspections. The aircraft was about 4 years old and its log showed approximately 2622 hours of flying time.

The instructor stated, “after about two turns of the spin had been completed, the student attempted recovery. I took the controls and attempted to assist in stopping the spin. At this time there was a loud snap like something breaking.” Investigation disclosed that after the cable failed, both the instructor and the student were on the controls attempting recovery. Both instructor and student were equipped with parachutes but neither had attempted to jump.

While poor maintenance and lack of proper inspection were contributing factors, the direct cause of’ this accident was failure of the left rudder control cable during an attempt to recover from an intentional spin.

BY THE BOARD

/s / Fred A. Toombs

Secretary