What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost control and crashed on takeoff, Livermore, CA. (.4)the purpose of the flight was to conduct a biennial flight review. No discrepancies were noted with the flight controls during the preflight inspection, the ensuing taxi to refuel the airplane, or during the run-up and takeoff roll. After takeoff, the pilot could not establish pitch control of the airplane, and was instructed to abort the takeoff. He shutdown the engine and turned off the fuel, master, and ignition switches in preparation for a hard landing. The airplane impacted the runway and ricocheted above the runway; the airplane then stalled and impacted the runway in a wings level attitude. The pilot stated that the push pull torque tube control quadrant was connected to the control yoke through a bellcrank with a bolt, which was housed underneath the fuel selector floorboards. Examination of this area revealed that the bolt was missing, and was not located during the ensuing search. The check pilot was also the mechanic who had conducted the last annual inspection on the airplane the day of the flight. He stated that he had completed a condition inspection of the airplane prior to the bie nnial flight review and did not recall removing or tightening any bolts in the flight control system area. (-23)privacy data omittedviolated FAR part 43.13 (b) when he performed a condition inspection on N7LP without ensuring that the condition of the aircraft was at least equal to its original or properly altered condition. He failed to perform the condition inspection as required by part 43 appendix d, par (c) (5) by failing to inspect the flight controls for proper installation and operation. He failed to discover the missing hardware attaching the forward elevator push/pull torque tube to the elevator control arm located under the lower forward center fuel control console.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED ON TAKEOFF, LIVERMORE, CA. (.4)THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE ENSUING TAXI TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE, OR DURING THE RUN-UP AND TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT COULD NOT ESTABLISH PITCH CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND TURNED OFF THE FUEL, MASTER, AND IGNITION SWITCHES IN PREPARATION FOR A HARD LANDING. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND RICOCHETED ABOVE THE RUNWAY; THE AIRPLANE THEN STALLED AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PUSH PULL TORQUE TUBE CONTROL QUADRANT WAS CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL YOKE THROUGH A BELLCRANK WITH A BOLT, WHICH WAS HOUSED UNDERNEATH THE FUEL SELECTOR FLOORBOARDS. EXAMINATION OF THIS AREA REVEALED THAT THE BOLT WAS MISSING, AND WAS NOT LOCATED DURING THE ENSUING SEARCH. THE CHECK PILOT WAS ALSO THE MECHANIC WHO HAD CONDUCTED THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED A CONDITION INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE BIE NNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW AND DID NOT RECALL REMOVING OR TIGHTENING ANY BOLTS IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM AREA. (-23)^PRIVACY DATA^VIOLATED FAR PART 43.13 (B) WHEN HE PERFORMED A CONDITION INSPECTION ON N7LP WITHOUT ENSURING THAT THE CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT LEAST EQUAL TO ITS ORIGINAL OR PROPERLY ALTERED CONDITION. HE FAILED TO PERFORM THE CONDITION INSPECTION AS REQUIRED BY PART 43 APPENDIX D, PAR (C) (5) BY FAILING TO INSPECT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION AND OPERATION. HE FAILED TO DISCOVER THE MISSING HARDWARE ATTACHING THE FORWARD ELEVATOR PUSH/PULL TORQUE TUBE TO THE ELEVATOR CONTROL ARM LOCATED UNDER THE LOWER FORWARD CENTER FUEL CONTROL CONSOLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.