What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During take-off from the pilot's privately-owned airstrip, the aircraft experienced a sudden failure of the rudder. The pilot reported that the aircraft immediately veered to the left between two telephone poles and under the wires. Pilot operated the aircraft for approximately 20 minutes while dumping its load of dry fertilizer and ascertaining landing options. The pilot landed the aircraft in a soft field approximately 800' west of the runway, traveled approximately 500', where upon the aircraft nosed in and flipped the aircraft over into an inverted position. Initial observation revealed that the aircraft sustained major damage to the propeller, left upper wing structure, and vertical tail, including the rudder. Initial investigation of post-crash damage revealed that the lower portion of the rudder main tubular spar showed signs of heavy corrosion and separation from the rudder control assembly.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING TAKE-OFF FROM THE PILOT'S PRIVATELY-OWNED AIRSTRIP, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE RUDDER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY VEERED TO THE LEFT BETWEEN TWO TELEPHONE POLES AND UNDER THE WIRES. PILOT OPERATED THE AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHILE DUMPING ITS LOAD OF DRY FERTILIZER AND ASCERTAINING LANDING OPTIONS. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SOFT FIELD APPROXIMATELY 800' WEST OF THE RUNWAY, TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 500', WHERE UPON THE AIRCRAFT NOSED IN AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT OVER INTO AN INVERTED POSITION. INITIAL OBSERVATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT UPPER WING STRUCTURE, AND VERTICAL TAIL, INCLUDING THE RUDDER. INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF POST-CRASH DAMAGE REVEALED THAT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER MAIN TUBULAR SPAR SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAVY CORROSION AND SEPARATION FROM THE RUDDER CONTROL ASSEMBLY.
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 N8148K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.