The NTSB says improperly installed trim tabs were a factor in the crash of a Piper Navajo in Myrtle Beach last May 21. A preliminary report (ERA21FA224) issued this week said investigators found the trim tabs were installed upside down and backward during an annual inspection completed two days before the flight. All the control surfaces had been removed and repainted during the annual. The flight was a post-maintenance hop from Myrtle Beach International Airport to Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach. The aircraft crashed in a field and was consumed by a post-crash fire. The tanks were filled with 167.5 gallons of 100 LL before the flight.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/upside-down-trim-tabs-cited-in-fatal-navajo-crash