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20020301003349I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172P · Scappoose, OR · March 1, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 1, 2002 · 12:30 local
Place
Scappoose, OR
Airport
Scappoose Industrial Airpark
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
LJES
Aircraft
N5487K
Reported as
Cessna 172P
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
N5487KRegistered now · Cessna 172PS/N 17274153Airframe modelCessna 172PEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) An instructor and new student were conducting touch-and-go landings at Scappoose, OR. Following a soft field take-off, at approximately 50 feet into the climb, the elevator control stuck and could not be pushed forward to lower the nose. The pilot rolled the elevator trim forward (nose down) with no effect. When the engine power was reduced, the elevator control "popped" loose and the pilot regained control of the aircraft. A subsequent landing was made at hillsboro, OR without further incident. Post incident inspection failed to find any mechanical binding in the flight control surfaces or elevator cables. Ground simulation of a soft field take-off, however, revealed that with the control wheel full aft and a little up pressure applied to the column, the control could not be pushed forward. The nylon bushi ngs that guide the dual control shafts through the instrument panel were dry and the resultant friction prevented the control shaft from sliding freely forward. The Cessna 172 service manual does not recommend lubrication for these bushings so the pilot's bushing was replaced. The controls move freely now.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AN INSTRUCTOR AND NEW STUDENT WERE CONDUCTING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AT SCAPPOOSE, OR. FOLLOWING A SOFT FIELD TAKE-OFF, AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET INTO THE CLIMB, THE ELEVATOR CONTROL STUCK AND COULD NOT BE PUSHED FORWARD TO LOWER THE NOSE. THE PILOT ROLLED THE ELEVATOR TRIM FORWARD (NOSE DOWN) WITH NO EFFECT. WHEN THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, THE ELEVATOR CONTROL "POPPED" LOOSE AND THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. A SUBSEQUENT LANDING WAS MADE AT HILLSBORO, OR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POST INCIDENT INSPECTION FAILED TO FIND ANY MECHANICAL BINDING IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES OR ELEVATOR CABLES. GROUND SIMULATION OF A SOFT FIELD TAKE-OFF, HOWEVER, REVEALED THAT WITH THE CONTROL WHEEL FULL AFT AND A LITTLE UP PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE COLUMN, THE CONTROL COULD NOT BE PUSHED FORWARD. THE NYLON BUSHI NGS THAT GUIDE THE DUAL CONTROL SHAFTS THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE DRY AND THE RESULTANT FRICTION PREVENTED THE CONTROL SHAFT FROM SLIDING FREELY FORWARD. THE CESSNA 172 SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT RECOMMEND LUBRICATION FOR THESE BUSHINGS SO THE PILOT'S BUSHING WAS REPLACED. THE CONTROLS MOVE FREELY NOW.