What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
05/05/2014 Conducted on scene investigation of landing incident, while landing with slight left cross wind pilot lost control of aircraft approx. 10 feet AGL when foam grip on control stick came off the control stick. Aircraft immediately dropped the right wing, landing hard on and damaging the right main landing and pitching forward causing prop to contact grass runway bending prop and stalling engine.
Examination of removed grip assembly reviled a non-approved alteration consiting of a 2.5 inch extension fabricated from steel tubing. This extension was the same diameter of the control stick for the top 2.5 inches and was of a smaller diameter for 1.5 inches that fit inside the control stick. The foam grip covered the entire extension plus approx. 1 inch below the bottom of the extension. There was no means to secure grip extension to control stick. An electrical connector was installed to facilitate removal of grip with the press to talk switch mounted in top of grip.
As the FAA filed it
05/05/2014 CONDUCTED ON SCENE INVESTIGATION OF LANDING INCIDENT, WHILE LANDING WITH SLIGHT LEFT CROSS WIND PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT APPROX. 10 FEET AGL WHEN FOAM GRIP ON CONTROL STICK CAME OFF THE CONTROL STICK. AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THE RIGHT WING, LANDING HARD ON AND DAMAGING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING AND PITCHING FORWARD CAUSING PROP TO CONTACT GRASS RUNWAY BENDING PROP AND STALLING ENGINE.
EXAMINATION OF REMOVED GRIP ASSEMBLY REVILED A NON-APPROVED ALTERATION CONSITING OF A 2.5 INCH EXTENSION FABRICATED FROM STEEL TUBING. THIS EXTENSION WAS THE SAME DIAMETER OF THE CONTROL STICK FOR THE TOP 2.5 INCHES AND WAS OF A SMALLER DIAMETER FOR 1.5 INCHES THAT FIT INSIDE THE CONTROL STICK. THE FOAM GRIP COVERED THE ENTIRE EXTENSION PLUS APPROX. 1 INCH BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE EXTENSION. THERE WAS NO MEANS TO SECURE GRIP EXTENSION TO CONTROL STICK. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS INSTALLED TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF GRIP WITH THE PRESS TO TALK SWITCH MOUNTED IN TOP OF GRIP.
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