What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft made unitended left turn after takeoff,pilot lost control and made hard landing on runway, blair, NE. (.4)the pilot said that during the initial takeoff, as the tail wheel came off the ground, the airplane began to 'fishtail.' When the pilot made rudder corrections, the airplane's directional control got worse. The airplane became airborne entering an uncontrolled left turn. The pilot said that he did not have 'positive response' when he turned back parallel to the runway. The pilot reduced power to land. The nose of the airplane tracked right away from the runway heading. The pilot tried to turn back to the left, but the airplane's controls would not respond. The pilot reduced the power to idle and impacted the ground in a left nose down slip approximately 20 feet left of the runway. Examination of the airplane's rudder controls revealed a fracture outside of the weld attaching the base of a t-shaped bar beneath the pilot's left rudder pedal to the torque tube connecting the left rudder pedals to the left and right seats. Further examination of the broken parts revealed a fatigue crack on the torque tube, originating on the re ar outside portion of the fracture.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT MADE UNITENDED LEFT TURN AFTER TAKEOFF,PILOT LOST CONTROL AND MADE HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY, BLAIR, NE. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF, AS THE TAIL WHEEL CAME OFF THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO 'FISHTAIL.' WHEN THE PILOT MADE RUDDER CORRECTIONS, THE AIRPLANE'S DIRECTIONAL CONTROL GOT WORSE. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE ENTERING AN UNCONTROLLED LEFT TURN. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE 'POSITIVE RESPONSE' WHEN HE TURNED BACK PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER TO LAND. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TRACKED RIGHT AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE PILOT TRIED TO TURN BACK TO THE LEFT, BUT THE AIRPLANE'S CONTROLS WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEFT NOSE DOWN SLIP APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S RUDDER CONTROLS REVEALED A FRACTURE OUTSIDE OF THE WELD ATTACHING THE BASE OF A T-SHAPED BAR BENEATH THE PILOT'S LEFT RUDDER PEDAL TO THE TORQUE TUBE CONNECTING THE LEFT RUDDER PEDALS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT SEATS. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE BROKEN PARTS REVEALED A FATIGUE CRACK ON THE TORQUE TUBE, ORIGINATING ON THE RE AR OUTSIDE PORTION OF THE FRACTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.