What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 25, 1998, at 1130 hours pacific standard time a grumman-schweizer G-164C, N6596K, made a precautionary landing due to a dislodged rudder pedal and ground looped after touchdown at the Oroville, California, airport. The aircraft, operated by chuck jones flying service, inc. as an agricultural crop dusting operation under 14 CFR part 137, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan was filed. In an interview with a federal aviation administration inspector from the sacramento, California, flight standards district office, the pilot reported that after departure from a private dirt strip in biggs, California, he attempted to readjust the rudder pedals. One of the pedals became dislodged and he could not replace it. The pilot stated that he elected to make a precautionary landing at Oroville due to the larger runway. (.4) the pilot reported that while airborne he attempted to adjust the right rudder pedal. Once he pulled the locking pin, the rudder pedal became dislodged and the pilot was unable to correct the malfunction. He diverted to an airport with a longer runway to make a precautionary landing. The pilot stated that he had to apply cross controlsto compensate for the loss of the rudder pedal on landing. On the landing rollout, the locking tail wheel did not lock and the aircraft began to sidestep on the runway. The right gear failed and the right wing and propeller struck the ground. No further mechanical malfunctions were noted. The rudder adjustment is a manual mechanism, located down by the rudder pedal that consists of a pin, which secures the pedal to the mechanism, and a plate that has holes in it. The plate also has two 90-degree tabs on either side of it to prevent the pin from becoming dislodged. The pilot would have to bend down to gain access to the pin to readjust the rudders. Once the pin has been pulled for readjustment, it is possible to push the pin past the tabs, making the process of moving the pin back into position very difficult.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 25, 1998, AT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME A GRUMMAN-SCHWEIZER G-164C, N6596K, MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING DUE TO A DISLODGED RUDDER PEDAL AND GROUND LOOPED AFTER TOUCHDOWN AT THE OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY CHUCK JONES FLYING SERVICE, INC. AS AN AGRICULTURAL CROP DUSTING OPERATION UNDER 14 CFR PART 137, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER DEPARTURE FROM A PRIVATE DIRT STRIP IN BIGGS, CALIFORNIA, HE ATTEMPTED TO READJUST THE RUDDER PEDALS. ONE OF THE PEDALS BECAME DISLODGED AND HE COULD NOT REPLACE IT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT OROVILLE DUE TO THE LARGER RUNWAY. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE AIRBORNE HE ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL. ONCE HE PULLED THE LOCKING PIN, THE RUDDER PEDAL BECAME DISLODGED AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE MALFUNCTION. HE DIVERTED TO AN AIRPORT WITH A LONGER RUNWAY TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TO APPLY CROSS CONTROLSTO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF THE RUDDER PEDAL ON LANDING. ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE LOCKING TAIL WHEEL DID NOT LOCK AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SIDESTEP ON THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT GEAR FAILED AND THE RIGHT WING AND PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. NO FURTHER MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED. THE RUDDER ADJUSTMENT IS A MANUAL MECHANISM, LOCATED DOWN BY THE RUDDER PEDAL THAT CONSISTS OF A PIN, WHICH SECURES THE PEDAL TO THE MECHANISM, AND A PLATE THAT HAS HOLES IN IT. THE PLATE ALSO HAS TWO 90-DEGREE TABS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT TO PREVENT THE PIN FROM BECOMING DISLODGED. THE PILOT WOULD HAVE TO BEND DOWN TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE PIN TO READJUST THE RUDDERS. ONCE THE PIN HAS BEEN PULLED FOR READJUSTMENT, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PUSH THE PIN PAST THE TABS, MAKING THE PROCESS OF MOVING THE PIN BACK INTO POSITION VERY DIFFICULT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6596K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.