What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The control rod for the pilot's aileron control separated during takeoff, initial climb, after the pilot heard a 'loud pop'. The pilot elected to land straight ahead, using rudder inputs for directional control. The airplane became airborne and then 'began to drift left of centerline.' Examination of the aircraft revealed a push-pull rod for aileron control was found separated at the connecting point to the bellcrank assembly, behind the left control yoke. Metallurgical examination of the rod disclosed fracture surfaces were rough and had a matte appearance along a shear plane. The rod exhibited bending deformation adjacent to the fracture. According to the metallurgist, these features are typical of an overstress separation. No evidence of pre-existing cracks, such as fatigue, was found.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE CONTROL ROD FOR THE PILOT'S AILERON CONTROL SEPARATED DURING TAKEOFF, INITIAL CLIMB, AFTER THE PILOT HEARD A 'LOUD POP'. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD, USING RUDDER INPUTS FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AND THEN 'BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT OF CENTERLINE.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A PUSH-PULL ROD FOR AILERON CONTROL WAS FOUND SEPARATED AT THE CONNECTING POINT TO THE BELLCRANK ASSEMBLY, BEHIND THE LEFT CONTROL YOKE. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ROD DISCLOSED FRACTURE SURFACES WERE ROUGH AND HAD A MATTE APPEARANCE ALONG A SHEAR PLANE. THE ROD EXHIBITED BENDING DEFORMATION ADJACENT TO THE FRACTURE. ACCORDING TO THE METALLURGIST, THESE FEATURES ARE TYPICAL OF AN OVERSTRESS SEPARATION. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING CRACKS, SUCH AS FATIGUE, WAS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.