What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting familiarization flight following purchase of this aircraft. During the second touch and go, the PIC heard a pop/bang noise and stated that he experienced what he described as an ineffective left ruder. He conducted a rudder connect continuity check and verified the rudder remained connected. On the third landing which was described as smooth by the PIC, the PIC lost directional control to the left as he applied brakes during the after landing rollout. The PIC attempted to correct with full right rudder and right brake. The PIC stated that the he had insufficient right rudder and brake effectiveness to overcome the left turning momentum. The aircraft departed runway 27 to the left into a muddy, grass area and flipped inverted. The PIC stated that post accident inspection revealed that the left brake cylindar attach fitting to the rudder pedal broke. This has not been verified by FAA maintenance inspectors due to the inaccesability of the forward rudder pedal area during an on-site inspection. The aircraft sustained substantial structural damage. RH landing gear attach point appears to be damaged with a camber out appearance similar to hard landing damage. Empanage area has approx a 5 degree twist. It is unclear if most of the damage was due to salvage operation or the accident. The aircraft is being donated to miramar college in san diego. The NTSB has requested that the left rudder components be sent to the NTSB for further inspection and metalurgicl analysis of the suspect components. It is the opinion of maintenance inspector privacy data omitted of the san diego FSDO that the airplane sustained hard landing damage. Noeir has been initiated since the hard landing damage claim cannot be substantiated considering the potential for salvage damage.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT FOLLOWING PURCHASE OF THIS AIRCRAFT. DURING THE SECOND TOUCH AND GO, THE PIC HEARD A POP/BANG NOISE AND STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS AN INEFFECTIVE LEFT RUDER. HE CONDUCTED A RUDDER CONNECT CONTINUITY CHECK AND VERIFIED THE RUDDER REMAINED CONNECTED. ON THE THIRD LANDING WHICH WAS DESCRIBED AS SMOOTH BY THE PIC, THE PIC LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL TO THE LEFT AS HE APPLIED BRAKES DURING THE AFTER LANDING ROLLOUT. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND RIGHT BRAKE. THE PIC STATED THAT THE HE HAD INSUFFICIENT RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS TO OVERCOME THE LEFT TURNING MOMENTUM. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 27 TO THE LEFT INTO A MUDDY, GRASS AREA AND FLIPPED INVERTED. THE PIC STATED THAT POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT BRAKE CYLINDAR ATTACH FITTING TO THE RUDDER PEDAL BROKE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED BY FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTORS DUE TO THE INACCESABILITY OF THE FORWARD RUDDER PEDAL AREA DURING AN ON-SITE INSPECTION. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. RH LANDING GEAR ATTACH POINT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGED WITH A CAMBER OUT APPEARANCE SIMILAR TO HARD LANDING DAMAGE. EMPANAGE AREA HAS APPROX A 5 DEGREE TWIST. IT IS UNCLEAR IF MOST OF THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO SALVAGE OPERATION OR THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT IS BEING DONATED TO MIRAMAR COLLEGE IN SAN DIEGO. THE NTSB HAS REQUESTED THAT THE LEFT RUDDER COMPONENTS BE SENT TO THE NTSB FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND METALURGICL ANALYSIS OF THE SUSPECT COMPONENTS. IT IS THE OPINION OF MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE SAN DIEGO FSDO THAT THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED HARD LANDING DAMAGE. NOEIR HAS BEEN INITIATED SINCE THE HARD LANDING DAMAGE CLAIM CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL FOR SALVAGE DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.