LAX99LA074

The pilot indicated the purpose of the flight was to practice outside snap rolls. When he pressed on the left rudder pedal, it went all the way to the floor with no resistance. He reported that the airplane was in straight and level flight when he reached down to verify that the cable was detached, hoping to be able to control the airplane when he realized that the cable was slack from the rear of the airplane. He then informed the tower of the emergency. The airplane entered a right bank from which the pilot could not recover and he jumped out of the airplane and parachuted to safety. The airplane wreckage was examined. The right rudder cable was found continuous from the cockpit pedal to the rudder control horn, with the horn end of the cable secured with a nicopress fitting. The left rudder cable was attached to the cockpit pedal but was detached from the rudder horn. The left cable to horn nicopress fitting was not on the cable's horn end and the left rudder cable end exhibited long and even splaying. When the cable was stretched out, it went all the way back to the rudder horn and was nearly identical in length to the right cable. A search of the accident site failed to locate the missing nicopress fitting.

On January 17, 1999, at 1330 hours Pacific standard time an experimental Abraham One Design airplane, N857JA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering approximately 14 miles north of the North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight and no flight plan was filed. The pilot/owner, the sole occupant, parachuted from the airplane and was not injured. The flight had departed the North Las Vegas airport at 1300.

In an interview with the Safety Board investigator, the pilot reported that he had gone out to the practice area to practice outside snap rolls. He stated that he had entered the snap roll at 5,500 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported that while in straight and level flight he "stomped" on the left rudder and reported that the rudder pedal went all the way to the floor. He reported that the airplane was in straight and level flight when he reached down to verify that the cable was detached, hoping to hand fly it when he realized that the cable was slack from the rear of the airplane. He then informed the tower of the emergency. The airplane entered a right bank from which the pilot could not recover and he jumped out of the airplane and parachuted to safety. The pilot reported that there were no further mechanical malfunctions noted with the airplane or engine beyond the rudder control system.

An officer from the North Las Vegas Police Department Aero Bureau unit responded to the accident site and examined the airplane wreckage. The right rudder cable was found continuous from the cockpit pedal to the rudder control horn, with the horn end of the cable secured with a nicopress fitting. The left rudder cable was attached to the cockpit pedal but was detached from the rudder horn. The left cable to horn nicopress fitting was not on the cable's horn end. He noted that the left rudder cable end exhibited long and even splaying. He reported that when the cable was stretched out, it went all the way back to the rudder horn and was nearly identical in length to the right cable. A search of the accident site failed to locate the missing nicopress fitting.