ATL94LA112

During takeoff, the pilot felt a jerk in the flight controls and elected to abort the takeoff procedure after the airplane was airborne. According to the pilot, control of the aircraft was maintained until the aircraft entered a left turn at 40 mph. The airplane touched down off the left side of the runway, rolled off the departure end, and through the airport perimeter fence. Examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem.

On June 2, 1994, at 1715 central daylight time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, N53819, collided with trees and a fence on the departure end of the south runway, during an aborted takeoff attempt from a private airstrip near Summerdale, Alabama. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. The accident occurred during the initial takeoff attempt.

During an attempted takeoff, the pilot felt a jerk in the flight controls and elected to abort the takeoff procedure after the airplane was airborne. According to the pilot, the airplane was controllable until the airplane entered a left turn at 40 mph. The airplane collided with a small stand of trees and a fence off the departure end of the runway. Examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The pilot report that the left aileron push rod was broken and appeared to have jammed the flight controls. The metallurgist factual report of the left aileron push rod assembly stated that the examination of the assembly revealed features typical of a bending overstress, and there was no evidence of preexisting defects (see attached metallurgist's factual report). According to the operator's handbook, the airplane will stall between 51 and 52 mph with normal takeoff flaps and takeoff power; stall airspeed information in a turn was not determined, but typically the stall airspeed in a turn would be higher than 52 mph.