What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed Statesboro-Bullock regional airport for a test flight following an annual inspection and the installation of new avionics equipment which included a three axis garmin gfc 500 autopilot. The pilot completed functional checks during the uneventful first hour of the flight. The pilot tuned the navigation system for an ILS approach and armed the approach mode for the autopilot. After reaching the ILS GPS waypoint for runway 32, the autopilot did not turn onto the localizer. The pilot then disconnected the autopilot and turned back toward the runway centerline. He applied power and the nose of the aircraft pitched down. He pulled power back and applied nose up trim via the electric trim. He again applied power and the aircraft pitched nose down again. Now at approximately a four mile final, he attempted to pull the yoke back but was unable to move it due to increased resistance and the aircraft continued to descend. He manually rolled nose-up trim to the stop without any effect on the yoke resistance or the aircraft’s attitude. At approximately 1000 feet from the runway, the left wing struck an approach light pole. The aircraft impacted the grass and skidded to a stop after shearing the nose and left landing gear.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED STATESBORO-BULLOCK REGIONAL AIRPORT FOR A TEST FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE INSTALLATION OF NEW AVIONICS EQUIPMENT WHICH INCLUDED A THREE AXIS GARMIN GFC 500 AUTOPILOT. THE PILOT COMPLETED FUNCTIONAL CHECKS DURING THE UNEVENTFUL FIRST HOUR OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT TUNED THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR AN ILS APPROACH AND ARMED THE APPROACH MODE FOR THE AUTOPILOT. AFTER REACHING THE ILS GPS WAYPOINT FOR RUNWAY 32, THE AUTOPILOT DID NOT TURN ONTO THE LOCALIZER. THE PILOT THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPILOT AND TURNED BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. HE APPLIED POWER AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN. HE PULLED POWER BACK AND APPLIED NOSE UP TRIM VIA THE ELECTRIC TRIM. HE AGAIN APPLIED POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN AGAIN. NOW AT APPROXIMATELY A FOUR MILE FINAL, HE ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE YOKE BACK BUT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IT DUE TO INCREASED RESISTANCE AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND. HE MANUALLY ROLLED NOSE-UP TRIM TO THE STOP WITHOUT ANY EFFECT ON THE YOKE RESISTANCE OR THE AIRCRAFT’S ATTITUDE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT WING STRUCK AN APPROACH LIGHT POLE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GRASS AND SKIDDED TO A STOP AFTER SHEARING THE NOSE AND LEFT LANDING GEAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.