MIA03LA021

According to the pilot during the takeoff roll the control yoke would not pull back to become airborne. He aborted the takeoff, at a point about two-thirds of the way down the 2,903-foot runway, and applied the brakes. The airplane departed the departure end of the runway, hit a ditch, and turned about 180 degrees opposite the direction of travel. Examination of the airplane's controls revealed control continuity the to ailerons and rudder. Elevator continuity was confirmed up to the baggage compartment. Due to impact damage to the forward fuselage area, continuity could not be confirmed to the yoke assembly. The bent control lock pin was found on the floorboard between the seats.

On December 1, 2002, about 1025 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182J, N3529F, registered to and operated by an individual, impacted with a ditch during an aborted takeoff at the Transylvania County Airport, Brevard, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private-rated pilot, and two passengers reported serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time, and was en route to Birmingham, Alabama.

According to the pilot, he performed "a thorough pre-flight inspection and he checked the flight controls for freedom of movement." He added power for takeoff on runway 27, which was 2,900 feet long. Upon passing a taxiway located about 2/3 down the runway, he attempted to rotate and was unable to pull back on the yoke, and applied the brakes. He was unable to bring the aircraft to a stop prior to departing the departure end of the runway, struck a ditch, railroad embankment, and turned about 180 degrees opposite the direction of travel.

According to the FAA inspector's statement the airplane skidded off the end of the runway, and about 1,500 feet of skid marks were noted. Examination of the airplane's controls revealed that control continuity was "verified" to ailerons and rudder. Elevator continuity was confirmed up to the baggage compartment. The aircraft nose section and firewall were crushed, reducing the cabin volume in the rudder pedal area. The control yoke could not be moved and the control lock hole did not line up with the hole in the control yoke sleeve. The control lock was observed on the floor between the front seats. The right main landing gear and the nose gear had severed. No obvious evidence of an engine malfunction was observed and the pilot reported the engine was operating normally during the entire event.

According to Cessna's report to the NTSB, the wreckage was viewed in a hangar at the mishap airport. Examination of the fuselage revealed that the firewall was buckled up and aft at the bottom, impinging into the passenger compartment. Other than the firewall damage, the cabin environment was not compromised. No evidence of fire was observed. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed from the empennage to the crushed section of the fuselage. Moving the right aileron up produced movement in the left control yoke. No such movement was observed when moving the left aileron in either direction or the right aileron upwards. The right control yoke was observed to be broken off at its attach point. The aircraft had been modified by installation of a Robertson STOL kit, which included STOL fences (painted the same color as the wing, and leading edge cuffs (bare aluminum). The system was said to have included the "drooping aileron" option. The control lock had a small red flag and the pin portion showed some polishing of the pin. The control lock pin was not straight. In the post recovery position, the hole in the control column did not line up with the hole for the control lock. The pilot stated he would normally store the control lock between the front seats. The control lock was observed on the floor between the two front seats. The elevator control cables were observed to be binding in the forward lower floor structure, which was crushed by impact. The control cables were traced through the airframe and appeared to be properly routed and attached to the rear bellcrank.