20120126001659A

1/26/2012 @ 1408 HOURS: AIRCRAFT N4297S, PIPER PA-28 LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF ROLL RWY 25 AT SANTA BARBARA AIRPORT (SBA), DEPARTED LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY JUST BEFORE RWY 15 (CROSS RUNWAY), WENT INTO THE OUTFIELD, HIT RUNWAY HOLD SHORT SIGN, AND CAME TO REST BACK UP ON RWY 25. NO INJURIES. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. ACCURATE AVIATION RECOVERED AIRCRAFT.1/27/2012: VISUALLY INSPECTED AIRCRAFT IN SBA. IT APPEARS THAT THE WING HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON THE CENTER AND RIGHT UNDER SIDE. THE RIGHT GEAR IS DAMAGED AND THE RIGHT STABILATOR IS HEAVILY DAMAGED. CONTACTED THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE STATED THAT HE LINED UP FOR THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 25. HE STATED THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 10 KNOTS STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND AT 10-15 KNOTS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. HE PULLED OFF THE THROTTLE WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER. AT THIS POINT HE WAS OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND HEADING FOR A RUNWAY SIGN. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK TO TRY AVOIDING THE SIGN. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BECOME AIRBORNE. THE RIGHT STABILATOR HIT ONE OF THE SIGNS AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN, SPUN OUT AND CAME TO A REST ON RUNWAY 25. THE RIGHT GEAR TORQUE LINK FAILED AND THE GEAR PIVOTED 360 DEGREES.2/1/2012: INSPECTED AIRCRAFT ON JACKS. CHECKED RUDDER AND NOSE STEERING FOR CORRECT OPERATION. INSPECTED LEFT MAIN GEAR FOR FREEDOM OF TIRE ROTATION. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. VERIFIED AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT INSPECTION AND THAT RECENT MAINTENANCE HAD NO BEARING ON THE ACCIDENT. OBTAINED REPORT FROM SBA AIRPORT AS THEY WERE THE ONLY AUTHORITIES ON SCENE. SPOKE WITH SUPERVISOR REYNOSO WHO WAS AT ACCIDENT SITE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORQUE LINK FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME BACK ONTO RWY 25 FROM THE DIRT. THE RECOVERED PIECE FROM THE TORQUE LINK WAS FOUND ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY ABOUT 30 YARDS FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST.