FTW98LA226

During landing, the airplane touched down hard damaging the propeller and the firewall. According to the pilot, he was unable to flare the airplane due to a 'stuck' control yoke. Both the pilot and his passenger reported that following the flight, the owner of the airplane inspected the area behind the instrument panel and found that a bolt through the yoke was catching on tubing behind the panel. An FAA inspector examined the airplane approximately 1 month after the accident and found no discrepancies in the elevator control system.

On April 29, 1998, approximately 1700 central daylight time, a Cessna 210A airplane, N9466X, registered to and operated by a private individual, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Parker County Airport, Weatherford, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal cross country flight that departed from Beaumont, Texas, approximately 1530.

The pilot reported that during the landing on runway 17, when he attempted to flare, "the yoke would only come back but a few inches." He further reported that the airplane "landed on all three wheels and bounced." The pilot stated that he did not attempt to go around due to the airplane's low airspeed and the "stuck" yoke. He "set the brakes hard and did not run off the runway."

According to the passenger, during the landing, the pilot "said that the yoke was stuck and we were flying too slow to take off again." The passenger reported that the airplane "hit the runway pretty hard and bounced." He further reported that the airplane "was moving fast," and the pilot had to use heavy braking to avoid overrunning the runway.

A witness reported that he observed the airplane approach the runway "in a nose low tail high attitude." The witness further reported that the airplane's "speed appeared to [be] excessive." He did not observe the landing.

Both the pilot and the passenger reported that after the airplane was parked in its hangar, the airplane's owner arrived at the hangar and inspected the area behind the instrument panel. The pilot reported that the owner "stated a bolt through the yoke was hanging up in the HSI tube which is parallel to the yoke." The passenger reported that the owner "said a bolt was hitting something behind [the] panel." He further reported that "after turning and moving the yoke up and down, it would come free, but was very loose with a[n] up and down movement."

The accident was reported to the NTSB by the airplane's owner on May 15, 1998. On May 26, 1998, the airplane was examined at Parker County Airport by an FAA inspector. According to the FAA inspector, the firewall was bent, the bottom fuselage skin aft of the firewall was wrinkled, and the propeller was damaged. The inspector reported that runway marks (prop slashes and tire skid marks) indicated the pilot "appeared to have landed long and at an excessive speed." The inspector further reported that "no problem was found with the control or control system."