ATL94FA036

The private pilot was taking off from a private, grass airstrip. He stated that he was in a hurry, and forgot to remove the control wheel lock prior to the flight. Once airborne, he elected to turn the aircraft to the right and land. The aircraft crashed in an open, grass field and came to rest in a nose low attitude. An inspection of the wreckage revealed that the pilot was using a 2 inch rivet instead of an approved control wheel lock. The rivet was not painted or marked by a flag. The rivet was still installed in the yoke sleeve, which would lock the controls, and the yoke control tube was fractured at the hole where the rivet was installed.

History of flight

On January 9, 1994, at 1530 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172H, N1432F, collided with terrain shortly after takeoff from a private, grass airstrip in Perry, Georgia. The private pilot was seriously injured in the accident. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Orlando, Florida. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

A witness reported that the aircraft lifted off on runway 36 after a takeoff roll of about 900 feet. The aircraft then entered a 45 degree bank right turn, and descended into the terrain. He stated that the engine was running at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that he was in a rush, and forgot to pull the control lock pin out of the yoke prior to the flight. When the aircraft became airborne and he realized that the pin was still in place, his first inclination was to put the airplane on the ground as soon as possible. He made a right turn and tried to land in a field adjacent to the airport.

Personnel information

Information on the pilot is included in this report in the section titled "First Pilot Information."

Aircraft information

Information on the aircraft is included in this report in the section titled "Aircraft Information."

Meteorological information

Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident. Meteorological information is included in this report in the section titled "Weather Information."

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage was found in an open, grass field, about 270 feet to the east of runway 36 at the Middle Georgia Airstrip. The wreckage was in a nose down attitude, with the nose landing gear collapsed. The main landing gear were still attached to the airframe. The tail cone was buckled at the rear cabin bulkhead; the empennage had minor damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the elevator and rudder to the cockpit. The outboard section of the right wing had crushing signatures on the leading edge, with upward bending deformation at the wing tip. The right flap and left wing root were crushed and buckled against the fuselage. The outboard, leading edge of the left wing tip was crushed aft and upward.

An inspection of the cockpit revealed that the left seat flight control yoke was broken off and lying on the cockpit floor. The yoke was fractured on the yoke tube, where a hole was drilled. There was a second, identical hole also found in the tube, about 1 7/8 inches closer to the yoke handle. The instrument panel-mounted left yoke sleeve was still in place. A hole was in the sleeve for the purpose of holding the control wheel lock. In this hole was a rivet, approximately 2 inches in length, which was being used as a control wheel lock. The rivet was not painted, and no flags or streamers were attached to it.

Additional information

A representative of the aircraft manufacturer reported that the rivet used as a control wheel lock was not an approved device.

The Cessna 172H Owner's Manual includes an exterior inspection preflight checklist. Step 1.e. of the checklist states: "Remove control wheel lock." In addition, the before takeoff checklist, step 1., states: "Flight Controls - - Check."

The wreckage was released to the owner following the accident.