The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-25 reported that, during the sixth flight of a glider tow operation, the control stick felt as though it had “some play” with regard to the ailerons. The control stick moved about four inches laterally before a corresponding movement of the ailerons could be observed.
He landed the airplane, performed a flight control check, and noticed a “little slack” between the control stick inputs and subsequent aileron movement. He determined that the control stick felt secure and took off on his seventh tow flight.
During the climb out from the airport in Twisp, Washington, the response to his control stick inputs diminished. The airplane encountered turbulence and the control stick separated from the torque tube assembly.
The pilot maintained control of the airplane by using trim, rudder control, and throttle variations.
The airplane subsequently landed on the grass surface to the right of the runway. During a firm landing, the airplane veered right, and the right wing collided with a berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading-edge of the right wing.
A subsequent examination of the airplane’s flight controls revealed that the bolt that secured the control stick to the torque tube assembly had backed out. The castellated nut and cotter pin that secured the bolt were not located.
Probable Cause: An in-flight separation of the control stick from the torque tube assembly, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll and subsequent on-ground collision.
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This June 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
There is something terribly wrong with the initial explanation of the looseness prior to take off. I was not there so I cannot say for sure what happened and nobody can but the 4 inches of play strikes me as being evasive. If the bolt holding the yoke to the tube had only lost it’s nut, then they would be no play. Once in flight the bolt fell out due to the missing nut and cotter pin, full control of the ailerons snd elevator would be lost as reported. Something in this explanation is evasive, for what reason I don’t know, but it changes the whole dynamics of the flight explanation
I just can’t believe that someone would take off after noticing that there was a ‘little slack’ in the stick
Your headline was not accurate and misleading.
The control stick did not break……a bolt backed out.
Please be accurate !!!!
There is enough mis information in the GA world….please do not add to it
Hmmmmm…
If the stick was intact and the ‘socket’ was intact, I wonder if he tried ‘jamming’ the stick back into the socket? Of course, when the stick separated from the socket… ‘pucker-factor’ would be at an all-time high…
Something like this happened to a USAF O-2A pilot during a 45-Deg rocket delivery pass: the pilot’s control wheel mechanism failed [behind the panel] during pull-out… the pilot had the intuition to reach over and ‘try’ the co-pilot’s wheel… which was still functioning OK. He was able to fly-out of the dive and RTB. Close shave…
Never forget… “If an airplane is still in one piece, don’t cheat on it; Ride the bastard down.” – Ernest K. Gann
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So, I have a few problems with this. When the pilot encountered a change in aileron control, landed for a lack luster inspection of the control issue, then decided to fly again with not only finding no reason for the lack of aileron control or any subsequent repairs decided to take off again ! I’m surprised that pilot error was not a component of the cause of the accident.
Good thing that pilot had enough gut feel for flying to use the other control inputs to get safely on the ground. How many others would have had that gut?
/J
This is more correctly stated as the control stick becoming disconnected from the aileron control yoke, since the bolt backed out, with the loss of the nut.
So, no aileron or elevator control.
It should have been very easy for the pilot to look down to see the bolt backing out of the control stick….AND, stop to make the repair.!!
Great stories! It gives good insight to accidents why they happened, how many could have been prevented!