20080818843449A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Amtr Excalibur · Moses Lake, WA · August 18, 2008

Date: August 18, 2008 · 07:45 local
Place: Moses Lake, WA
Airport: Moses Lake Municipal
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2505Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA08CA184
Reported as: Amtr Excalibur
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,126 total150 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N2505QRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2012 · Wheat Lawrence M EXCALIBUR EXS/N 1106 · Built 2007 Airframe modelWheat Lawrence M EXCALIBUR EX Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) privacy data omitted departed the Moses Lake Municipal Airport with privacy data omitted the owner and manufacturer of the aircraft. They departed at 0800. While flying over the pot holes reservoir the pilot heard a loud pop. The pilot noticed he had no rudder control he then checked with the passenger to see if he had any rudder control. The passenger confirmed that there was no rudder control. The aircraft was descending in a right descending turn and the pilot landed the aircraft in the reservoir. They landed about 60 feet from shore and the aircraft sank in about 40 feet of water. The aircraft was recovered on August 19, 2008. The cables that go from the rudder to the left rudder peddles had sheared the rivets at the attach point causing the loss of rudder controll. The right rudder attach point had also sheared two of the three rivets that hold the rudder cable to the peddle.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED THE MOSES LAKE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE OWNER AND MANUFACTURER OF THE AIRCRAFT. THEY DEPARTED AT 0800. WHILE FLYING OVER THE POT HOLES RESERVOIR THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP. THE PILOT NOTICED HE HAD NO RUDDER CONTROL HE THEN CHECKED WITH THE PASSENGER TO SEE IF HE HAD ANY RUDDER CONTROL. THE PASSENGER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO RUDDER CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING IN A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN AND THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE RESERVOIR. THEY LANDED ABOUT 60 FEET FROM SHORE AND THE AIRCRAFT SANK IN ABOUT 40 FEET OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED ON AUGUST 19, 2008. THE CABLES THAT GO FROM THE RUDDER TO THE LEFT RUDDER PEDDLES HAD SHEARED THE RIVETS AT THE ATTACH POINT CAUSING THE LOSS OF RUDDER CONTROLL. THE RIGHT RUDDER ATTACH POINT HAD ALSO SHEARED TWO OF THE THREE RIVETS THAT HOLD THE RUDDER CABLE TO THE PEDDLE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA08CA184Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMoses Lake, WAThe right rudder pedal attach rivets sheared due to overload.Aug 18, 2008 · Substantial damage