What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 9/3/04, Mr. Rathgeber flew N1854N from ksna on a VFR flight to O68. While entering the pattern at O68 he detected a loss of pitch control after lowering the landing gear and selecting approach flaps. After retracting gear and flaps and initiating a climbout, all controls functioned normally. He diverted to kfat, a larger airport with more facilities and informed Fresno TRACON of his difficulty. With fire equipment standing by, N1854N was cleared to land on runway 29L. Mr. Rathberger reported flying his approach at approx 80-90 knots and selected gear down and landing flaps at 500'AGL. At approx 40' AGL, he reported that the nose dropped and the aircraft impacted the runway in a nose low attitude. Mr. Bob lawrence of Fresno jet center assisted the FAA and NTSB in the investigation and the following is a summary of the facts: at the accident site, Mr. Lawrence noted resistance to full up movement of the elevator controls. He stated that the elevator could only be moved to partial full up travel. After placing the pilot's control to full down elevator, then full up, the resistance was still there. Mr. Lawrence was able to overcome the up elevator control resistance by pullinghard on the controls. At that point he heard a popping noise originating from the rear of the fuselage, and then full up elevator travel was obtained. During further investigation, a failure of the autopilot pitch control servo was discovered. A malfunction-defect will be completed for the servo. The pilot stated that on the flight from ksna to O68 he engaged the autopilot and experienced an abnormality in elevator pitch control. He disconnected the autopilot and did not attempt to re-engage it. During further investigation, a malfunction of the autopilot pitch control servo was discovered. A malfunction defect report will be completed for the servo.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 9/3/04, MR. RATHGEBER FLEW N1854N FROM KSNA ON A VFR FLIGHT TO O68. WHILE ENTERING THE PATTERN AT O68 HE DETECTED A LOSS OF PITCH CONTROL AFTER LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR AND SELECTING APPROACH FLAPS. AFTER RETRACTING GEAR AND FLAPS AND INITIATING A CLIMBOUT, ALL CONTROLS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. HE DIVERTED TO KFAT, A LARGER AIRPORT WITH MORE FACILITIES AND INFORMED FRESNO TRACON OF HIS DIFFICULTY. WITH FIRE EQUIPMENT STANDING BY, N1854N WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 29L. MR. RATHBERGER REPORTED FLYING HIS APPROACH AT APPROX 80-90 KNOTS AND SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND LANDING FLAPS AT 500'AGL. AT APPROX 40' AGL, HE REPORTED THAT THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. MR. BOB LAWRENCE OF FRESNO JET CENTER ASSISTED THE FAA AND NTSB IN THE INVESTIGATION AND THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE FACTS: AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, MR. LAWRENCE NOTED RESISTANCE TO FULL UP MOVEMENT OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROLS. HE STATED THAT THE ELEVATOR COULD ONLY BE MOVED TO PARTIAL FULL UP TRAVEL. AFTER PLACING THE PILOT'S CONTROL TO FULL DOWN ELEVATOR, THEN FULL UP, THE RESISTANCE WAS STILL THERE. MR. LAWRENCE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THE UP ELEVATOR CONTROL RESISTANCE BY PULLINGHARD ON THE CONTROLS. AT THAT POINT HE HEARD A POPPING NOISE ORIGINATING FROM THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE, AND THEN FULL UP ELEVATOR TRAVEL WAS OBTAINED. DURING FURTHER INVESTIGATION, A FAILURE OF THE AUTOPILOT PITCH CONTROL SERVO WAS DISCOVERED. A MALFUNCTION-DEFECT WILL BE COMPLETED FOR THE SERVO. THE PILOT STATED THAT ON THE FLIGHT FROM KSNA TO O68 HE ENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND EXPERIENCED AN ABNORMALITY IN ELEVATOR PITCH CONTROL. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT AND DID NOT ATTEMPT TO RE-ENGAGE IT. DURING FURTHER INVESTIGATION, A MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOPILOT PITCH CONTROL SERVO WAS DISCOVERED. A MALFUNCTION DEFECT REPORT WILL BE COMPLETED FOR THE SERVO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.