20200713009089A

ON JULY 13, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 0933 LOCAL, N2716P, A PIPER PA-22-150, SN: 22-5280, PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFT-OFF FROM RUNWAY 24, AT N03 (CORTLAND COUNTY ? CHASE FIELD). PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS IN THE PILOT?S SEAT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS A PASSENGER, IN THE CO-PILOT?S SEAT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION. HE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED MILD INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED FAA INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON HIS CELL PHONE, AND NOTIFIED HIM OF THE ACCIDENT. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTIFIED THE FAA ROC. I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE ACCIDENT ON JULY 13, 2020.

ON JULY 13, 2020, I RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE, AND ARRIVED AT 1145 LOCAL. I WAS MET BY CORTLAND COUNTY SHERIFF, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE AIRPORT MANAGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 24. UPON INTRODUCING MYSELF, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE WAS THE MECHANIC, AND HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED SIGNIFICANT WORK ON THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED, DUE TO THE WAY THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED UPON TAKEOFF, HE BELIEVED HE RIGGED THE AILERONS IMPROPERLY. I INFORMED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE FAA COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, AND ISSUED HIM A PAPER PILOT?S BILL OF RIGHTS AND COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY BROCHURE. I PERFORMED A WALK AROUND OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKS, AND NO POST-CRASH FIRE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY, AND DE-ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT). I THEN PROCEEDED TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT GENTLY AFT, FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE BLADES OUT. THE NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED, AND THE LOWER COWLING SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED. THE LEFT WING TIP SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT AT A SHARP ANGLE TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AFT, UNDERSIDE OF THE BELLY, THE RUDDER, AND THE RIGHT ELEVATOR APPEARED TO HAVE IMPACT DAMAGE. I PERFORMED A CONTINUITY CHECK OF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE AILERONS MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE CONTROL YOKE. RIGHT AILERON APPLIED AT THE YOKE, RESULTED IN THE RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTING DOWN, AND THE LEFT AILERON DEFLECTING UP. LEFT AILERON APPLIED AT THE YOKE, RESULTED IN THE LEFT AILERON DEFLECTING DOWN, AND THE RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTING UP. AT THIS POINT, I INFORMED THE CORTLAND COUNTY AIRPORT PERSONNEL, THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE MOVED.

ON JULY 15, 2020, I PERFORMED AN INSPECTION ON N2716P. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THE AILERON BALANCE CABLE, AND THE RIGHT AND LEFT AILERON CONTROL CABLES WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY. THIS RESULTED IN THE AILERONS MOVING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF CONTROL YOKE INPUT. DUE TO THE AGE OF THIS AIRCRAFT, THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE MANUAL PROVIDED BY PIPER. THE PIPER OWNER?S HANDBOOK FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AND THE PA-22-150 ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG, SHOW THE BALANCE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE AILERON CONTROL HORN LOWER ATTACH POINTS.

ON JULY 14, 2020, I PERFORMED A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. I REQUESTED A COPY OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EMAILED PHOTOS OF HIS PILOT CERTIFICATE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL. I ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHEN HIS LAST MEDICAL WAS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED IT WAS IN THE LATE 1990?S. THE FAA DATABASE SHOWED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^LAST MEDICAL AS A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL IN 1999. I INFORMED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE FAA?S COMPLIANCE PROGRAM.

ON JULY, 15, 2020, I EMAILED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A DIGITAL COPY OF THE PILOT?S BILL OF RIGHTS AND COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY BROCHURE.