Corroded pulley caused plane to crash in Lantana, NTSB says
Preliminary Report Reveals Corroded Pulley System Lead to Fatal Plane Crash at Palm Beach County Park Airport
On May 26, a young woman and her flight instructor were killed in a plane crash at the Palm Beach County Park Airport in Florida. The unexpected accident was partly blamed on the aircraft’s corroded pulley system, as mentioned in the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report released on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Isabela Diego Matias, aged 20, from Lantana, and 76-year-old Stanley Sands, from Lake Worth Beach. The accident happened shortly after takeoff, at around 11:18 a.m., and the report notes that the airplane suddenly went out of control due to a fault in the aileron, which is integral to the wing and helps with turning and banking.
“The pulley did not rotate freely, and corrosion was noted,” the NTSB report states. “Several other breaks noted in the aileron control system were consistent with tension overload failures.”
Robert Katz, a veteran commercial pilot, recounted his concerns to WPTV regarding the plane and its maintenance. He stated that the aircraft was “rolling over on takeoff because the pilot has no control.” Katz added, “The pilot cannot arrest the bank, in other words, bring the airplane back to wings level, and everyone is just along for the ride at that point. The airplane is out of control.”
The airplane, a single-engine Cessna 172, was purchased on May 4, according to the aircraft’s owner, Airmax Aviation. However, the affidavit from the previous owner indicated that the maintenance logbooks were lost, as reported in the NTSB preliminary report. The last recorded inspection was conducted on September 22, 2022. The plane had logged in 5,025.5 hours at the time of the crash.
Katz expressed his surprise regarding the degree of corrosion on the plane and how it was overlooked. “Just looking at that section of cables and seeing how extensive that corrosion is, it is dumbfounding to me how it could be missed,” he said. Katz emphasized the importance of proper maintenance and inspection of aircraft, particularly older planes. He further added, “It’s up to the ownership of the airplane to make certain that this airplane remains in an airworthy condition throughout its operational lifetime, and the fact that the airplane is 42 years old is not a problem if proper maintenance is conducted.”
The incident has raised alarms since it is not the first accident of its kind at Palm Beach County Park Airport. Two men lost their lives in March when a Diamond DA40 airplane crashed in a nearby field. The incident highlights the need for stringent maintenance and inspection checks, especially in the case of vintage planes. The NTSB’s final report on the crash is expected to be released later this year.
The tragic accident has left the aviation community and the victims’ families grieving. The plane was found cut in half and badly smashed up, in a grassy area close to the Lake Osborne campground. The engine, partially attached to the fuselage through its mounts, was still running at full throttle. It is hoped that investigations will continue to better ensure the safety and security of all aviation passengers.
