Service difficulty report · Control Column · Grob G103ATWINII

Difficulty date
June 16, 2007
Submitted
July 6, 2007
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N4446Y
Make and model
Grob G103ATWINII
Aircraft serial
3825
Aircraft time
2,650 hours
Part
Control Column
Part number
103B4411
Condition
Fractured
Location
Cockpit
Part time
2,650 hours
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
F
Precautionary procedure
B, A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

ON SECOND FLT OF DAY, & WHILE STILL ON AERO-TOW, PILOT WHO WAS FLYING FROM THE REAR SEAT WITH A NON-PILOT PASSENGER IN FRONT, NOTICED THAT IT REQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES OF RT-STICK CORRECTION TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. PILOT ALSO OBSERVED AILERONS TO BE IN A NEUTRAL POSITION WITH THIS RT-STICK CORRECTION. PILOT RELEASED FROM TOW, & RETURNED TO AIRPORT & EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL, UNEVENTFUL LANDING USING MINIMAL, LIGHT CONTROL STICK INPUTS. POST FLT INSPECTION OF AFT CONTROL STICK REVEALED CONTROL COLUMN BASE UNIT TUBING STUB OVER WHICH DETACHABLE REAR CONTROL STICK MOUNTS, TO BE FRACTURED, APPROXIMATELY 80 PERCENT OF ITS TOTAL CIRCUMFERENCE. IT REQUIRED ONLY MINIMUM FURTHER (BENDING) OF THE CONTROL STICK TO AC