What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported that when his airspeed reached 190 knots just at the beginning of his descent from 16,500 feet asl the tail of the airplane started fluddering and it felt like he was losing control. He declared emergency to oakland center. He stated that he was able to slow down the vibrations, fluddering, and oscillations by reducing power and raising the nose, but the aircraft would intermittently shake severly. He was able to regain control and land at the closest available airport without further incident. In retrospect, the pilot said that the control rod on the rudder trim tab actuator must have been broken before letdown because the rudder trim would not function. The pilot admitted that the aircraft had been parked outside in the wind without the surface control locks installed. The maintenance facility doing the repairs stated that the rod shows signs of being partially broken in two because there is rust on half of the diameter of the broken ends of the shaft. They also stated it appears there were improper straightening repairs performed on the shaft at an earlier date because of filed smooth plier marks and irregular deformations in the rod. M or d submitter recommends a required examination at annuals to inspect for unauthorized straightening of the rod that typically gets bent by wind damage on the ground. This incident and investigatiion are closed. This incident did not involve a pilot deviation report form 8020-17.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HIS AIRSPEED REACHED 190 KNOTS JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS DESCENT FROM 16,500 FEET ASL THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE STARTED FLUDDERING AND IT FELT LIKE HE WAS LOSING CONTROL. HE DECLARED EMERGENCY TO OAKLAND CENTER. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN THE VIBRATIONS, FLUDDERING, AND OSCILLATIONS BY REDUCING POWER AND RAISING THE NOSE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SHAKE SEVERLY. HE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND LAND AT THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE CONTROL ROD ON THE RUDDER TRIM TAB ACTUATOR MUST HAVE BEEN BROKEN BEFORE LETDOWN BECAUSE THE RUDDER TRIM WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE PILOT ADMITTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE IN THE WIND WITHOUT THE SURFACE CONTROL LOCKS INSTALLED. THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY DOING THE REPAIRS STATED THAT THE ROD SHOWS SIGNS OF BEING PARTIALLY BROKEN IN TWO BECAUSE THERE IS RUST ON HALF OF THE DIAMETER OF THE BROKEN ENDS OF THE SHAFT. THEY ALSO STATED IT APPEARS THERE WERE IMPROPER STRAIGHTENING REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE SHAFT AT AN EARLIER DATE BECAUSE OF FILED SMOOTH PLIER MARKS AND IRREGULAR DEFORMATIONS IN THE ROD. M OR D SUBMITTER RECOMMENDS A REQUIRED EXAMINATION AT ANNUALS TO INSPECT FOR UNAUTHORIZED STRAIGHTENING OF THE ROD THAT TYPICALLY GETS BENT BY WIND DAMAGE ON THE GROUND. THIS INCIDENT AND INVESTIGATIION ARE CLOSED. THIS INCIDENT DID NOT INVOLVE A PILOT DEVIATION REPORT FORM 8020-17.