What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 1 2011 privacy data omitted, pilot in command of N433GC was preforming his first test flight of his amature built rans S17 stinger ultralight. privacy data omitted Performed a preflight of his aircraft and everything was reprortedly functioning normal. The wx was VFR and he departed runway 04 at ktdz, toledo executive airport. The aircraft tracked straight on centerline but immediatley started a right hand turn when it broke ground. privacy data omitted Applied opposite rudder and aileron control inputs with no effect on the aircraft. He reduced power and tried landing in an open field; however the aircraft continued its right turning tendency. He decided not to add power to the aircraft as he believed he could not clear a set of power lines. The aircraft stuck a fence and impacted a tree, finally coming to a stop at the base of a stone pile. privacy data omitted Had no injuries but the aircraft suffered substantial damage. The frame was twisted and the left wing was severely bent due to impacting the tree and ground. The nosecone was damaged and right rudder pedal was sheared off due to ground impact. Right main gear was sheared off. Right horizontal stabilizer was torn on the bottom due to the fence. The frame was bent and cracked behind the cockpit. Upon examining the aircraft, the right rudder cable was twisted causing the cable to shorten and pull the rudder, deflecting it to the right. This would explain the right turning tendency. The cable was straightened and then pulled on due to the rudder pedal being sheared off to confirm rudder continuity. After doing so the cable twisted again causing it to shorten and cause a 1 ½" discrepancy between the left and right rudder cables. It is undetermined if the twisting was caused pre or post impact. Airmen was current with a bfr and current medical.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 1 2011 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT IN COMMAND OF N433GC WAS PREFORMING HIS FIRST TEST FLIGHT OF HIS AMATURE BUILT RANS S17 STINGER ULTRALIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT OF HIS AIRCRAFT AND EVERYTHING WAS REPRORTEDLY FUNCTIONING NORMAL. THE WX WAS VFR AND HE DEPARTED RUNWAY 04 AT KTDZ, TOLEDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT TRACKED STRAIGHT ON CENTERLINE BUT IMMEDIATLEY STARTED A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN IT BROKE GROUND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPLIED OPPOSITE RUDDER AND AILERON CONTROL INPUTS WITH NO EFFECT ON THE AIRCRAFT. HE REDUCED POWER AND TRIED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD; HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS RIGHT TURNING TENDENCY. HE DECIDED NOT TO ADD POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT AS HE BELIEVED HE COULD NOT CLEAR A SET OF POWER LINES. THE AIRCRAFT STUCK A FENCE AND IMPACTED A TREE, FINALLY COMING TO A STOP AT THE BASE OF A STONE PILE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD NO INJURIES BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FRAME WAS TWISTED AND THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERELY BENT DUE TO IMPACTING THE TREE AND GROUND. THE NOSECONE WAS DAMAGED AND RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL WAS SHEARED OFF DUE TO GROUND IMPACT. RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS TORN ON THE BOTTOM DUE TO THE FENCE. THE FRAME WAS BENT AND CRACKED BEHIND THE COCKPIT. UPON EXAMINING THE AIRCRAFT, THE RIGHT RUDDER CABLE WAS TWISTED CAUSING THE CABLE TO SHORTEN AND PULL THE RUDDER, DEFLECTING IT TO THE RIGHT. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE RIGHT TURNING TENDENCY. THE CABLE WAS STRAIGHTENED AND THEN PULLED ON DUE TO THE RUDDER PEDAL BEING SHEARED OFF TO CONFIRM RUDDER CONTINUITY. AFTER DOING SO THE CABLE TWISTED AGAIN CAUSING IT TO SHORTEN AND CAUSE A 1 ½" DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT RUDDER CABLES. IT IS UNDETERMINED IF THE TWISTING WAS CAUSED PRE OR POST IMPACT.AIRMEN WAS CURRENT WITH A BFR AND CURRENT MEDICAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.