What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot and three passengers were taking a local flight under VFR conditions. The pilot washed the aircraft prior to departure and placed a machine screw in the left hand control lock hole (on the yoke) to secure the ailerons. When preflighting the aircraft he neglected to remove the screw. During the run up, he did not follow a checklist and failed to check the flight controls. He initiated takeoff on runway 30L and stated that his left hand was in his lap until he reached approximately 80 mph. He observed the airplane become airborne and then realized the controls were locked. He attempted unsuccessfully to remove the screw and also brought the throttle to idle. The aircraft contacted the runway in a nose down attitude and bounced back into the air. It bounced again and exited the runway to the left coming to a rest on a ramp in front of the fire house.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE TAKING A LOCAL FLIGHT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. THE PILOT WASHED THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND PLACED A MACHINE SCREW IN THE LEFT HAND CONTROL LOCK HOLE (ON THE YOKE) TO SECURE THE AILERONS. WHEN PREFLIGHTING THE AIRCRAFT HE NEGLECTED TO REMOVE THE SCREW. DURING THE RUN UP, HE DID NOT FOLLOW A CHECKLIST AND FAILED TO CHECK THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. HE INITIATED TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 30L AND STATED THAT HIS LEFT HAND WAS IN HIS LAP UNTIL HE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE BECOME AIRBORNE AND THEN REALIZED THE CONTROLS WERE LOCKED. HE ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REMOVE THE SCREW AND ALSO BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. IT BOUNCED AGAIN AND EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT COMING TO A REST ON A RAMP IN FRONT OF THE FIRE HOUSE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.