N81194 – FUNK B85C – 2015-03-06 NTSB Accident Report

On March 06, 2015, a Funk B85C (N81194) was involved in an incident near Leonard, OK. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The improper installation of the UP elevator cable turnbuckle which became disconnected during the flight.

The pilot reported that he was flying about 700 feet above the ground in cruise flight when he felt the control stick "pop" and the nose of the airplane pitch down. The pilot pulled back the throttle and turned off the magnetos. The passenger adjusted the elevator trim; however, the pitch attitude did not change. The pilot then entered a side slip which brought the nose up to level. He straightened the nose of the airplane just prior to it impacting the terrain. The airplane subsequently flipped inverted resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the UP elevator turnbuckle became detached at the elevator torque tube. The turnbuckle was not safety wired. New cables were installed in the airplane in 2007.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN15CA166. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N81194.