What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was involved in a search & rescue operation to find an aircraft which had disappeared on a flight from deervalley airport (dvt) to sedona (sez). N9370X had taken off from dvt and had flown a search pattern in an area to the south of sez. The aircraft crew had completed their search grid and were returning to cap operations base at dvt when the aileron control wheel became locked in a slight turn condition. The aircraft was approximately 30 miles to the northeast of dvt at this time. The pilot attempted to clear aileron control wheel to allow roll axis movement but was only able to get slight left & right wheel movement. Manipulation of the elevator and rudder was not restricted, so roll control was achieved by manipulating rudder control. The pilot continued his flight to dvt and declared an emergency to dvt tower. Aircraft was able to land without aileron input. No damage was done to the aircraft during flight or landing. After the aircraft was shut down other pilots attempted to move the aileron control and were unable to get the control wheel to turn left or right. Several hours later the maintenance officer for the aircraft checked the aileron control wheel and found the control wheel was able to move freely, allowing full aileron movement. The aircraft was taken off operational status until maintenance could look into the problem. On sept 30 the aircraft was taken to its normal maintenance facility (atlantic aviation) to have the aileron control system checked. Mechanics inspected control inside the wings and found no reason for the control to be jammed. During the inspection maintenance personnel removed the engine cowl to enable inspection of the engine for oil leaks. When the cowling was removed it was discovered that a metallic 3 "d" cell mag flashlight was sitting directly on the aileron drive belt. It was determined by the placement of the flashlight that when the engine was running the alternator belt movement would shove the flashlight against the aileron control rod mounting nut jamming the aileron control movement.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN A SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATION TO FIND AN AIRCRAFT WHICH HAD DISAPPEARED ON A FLIGHT FROM DEERVALLEY AIRPORT (DVT) TO SEDONA (SEZ). N9370X HAD TAKEN OFF FROM DVT AND HAD FLOWN A SEARCH PATTERN IN AN AREA TO THE SOUTH OF SEZ. THE AIRCRAFT CREW HAD COMPLETED THEIR SEARCH GRID AND WERE RETURNING TO CAP OPERATIONS BASE AT DVT WHEN THE AILERON CONTROL WHEEL BECAME LOCKED IN A SLIGHT TURN CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST OF DVT AT THIS TIME. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR AILERON CONTROL WHEEL TO ALLOW ROLL AXIS MOVEMENT BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET SLIGHT LEFT & RIGHT WHEEL MOVEMENT. MANIPULATION OF THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER WAS NOT RESTRICTED, SO ROLL CONTROL WAS ACHIEVED BY MANIPULATING RUDDER CONTROL. THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT TO DVT AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO DVT TOWER. AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT AILERON INPUT. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING FLIGHT OR LANDING. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN OTHER PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE AILERON CONTROL AND WERE UNABLE TO GET THE CONTROL WHEEL TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. SEVERAL HOURS LATER THE MAINTENANCE OFFICER FOR THE AIRCRAFT CHECKED THE AILERON CONTROL WHEEL AND FOUND THE CONTROL WHEEL WAS ABLE TO MOVE FREELY, ALLOWING FULL AILERON MOVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN OFF OPERATIONAL STATUS UNTIL MAINTENANCE COULD LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. ON SEPT 30 THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO ITS NORMAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY (ATLANTIC AVIATION) TO HAVE THE AILERON CONTROL SYSTEM CHECKED. MECHANICS INSPECTED CONTROL INSIDE THE WINGS AND FOUND NO REASON FOR THE CONTROL TO BE JAMMED. DURING THE INSPECTION MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED THE ENGINE COWL TO ENABLE INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FOR OIL LEAKS. WHEN THE COWLING WAS REMOVED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A METALLIC 3 "D" CELL MAG FLASHLIGHT WAS SITTING DIRECTLY ON THE AILERON DRIVE BELT. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PLACEMENT OF THE FLASHLIGHT THAT WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING THE ALTERNATOR BELT MOVEMENT WOULD SHOVE THE FLASHLIGHT AGAINST THE AILERON CONTROL ROD MOUNTING NUT JAMMING THE AILERON CONTROL MOVEMENT.
Other reports on N9370X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.