What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft had been performing its first flight since being re-built. The pilot took-off from the grass next to the runway. As the aircraft climbed-out, the pilot noticed that he needed to gradually increase right aileron deflection in order to keep the wings level and the aircraft flying straight. By the time the aircraft was on left downwind, the pilot needed both hands on the stick in order to apply full right aileron and stop the aircraft from turning left. The pilot assessed the situation and determined that the engine, rudder, and elevator, were performing as expected, but the need to keep full right aileron deflection made it necessary to land immediately. He chose to touchdown near the southwest edge of the airport property, on the grass, southeast of runway 03. Although the left wing hit the ground first, the aircraft did not cartwheel and the pilot escaped uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PERFORMING ITS FIRST FLIGHT SINCE BEING RE-BUILT. THE PILOT TOOK-OFF FROM THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED-OUT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HE NEEDED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTION IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL AND THE AIRCRAFT FLYING STRAIGHT. BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON LEFT DOWNWIND, THE PILOT NEEDED BOTH HANDS ON THE STICK IN ORDER TO APPLY FULL RIGHT AILERON AND STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM TURNING LEFT. THE PILOT ASSESSED THE SITUATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE, RUDDER, AND ELEVATOR, WERE PERFORMING AS EXPECTED, BUT THE NEED TO KEEP FULL RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTION MADE IT NECESSARY TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. HE CHOSE TO TOUCHDOWN NEAR THE SOUTHWEST EDGE OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY, ON THE GRASS, SOUTHEAST OF RUNWAY 03. ALTHOUGH THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND FIRST, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CARTWHEEL AND THE PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL 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.