What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed hdh to conduct ridge soaring near the airfield. After climbing to altitude the pilot shut the engine off and flew several passes along the ridge. On one turn he felt unusual forces in the rudder pedals. He looked back and could see daylight between the vertical fin and the top of the rudder. He completed the turn and lined up for a strait in approach to runway 8 at hdh. After landing the aircraft veared to the left into the grass and cleared the runway. The rudder came completly off of the aircraft during the landing rollout. After stopping the pilot walked back about 200 feet and recovered the rudder.
The aircraft's previous flight was on 2/12/2017 with no issues noted by the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED HDH TO CONDUCT RIDGE SOARING NEAR THE AIRFIELD. AFTER CLIMBING TO ALTITUDE THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND FLEW SEVERAL PASSES ALONG THE RIDGE. ON ONE TURN HE FELT UNUSUAL FORCES IN THE RUDDER PEDALS. HE LOOKED BACK AND COULD SEE DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE VERTICAL FIN AND THE TOP OF THE RUDDER. HE COMPLETED THE TURN AND LINED UP FOR A STRAIT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 8 AT HDH. AFTER LANDING THE AIRCRAFT VEARED TO THE LEFT INTO THE GRASS AND CLEARED THE RUNWAY. THE RUDDER CAME COMPLETLY OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT. AFTER STOPPING THE PILOT WALKED BACK ABOUT 200 FEET AND RECOVERED THE RUDDER.
THE AIRCRAFT'S PREVIOUS FLIGHT WAS ON 2/12/2017 WITH NO ISSUES NOTED BY THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N109FH · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.