The pilot reported that shortly after liftoff from the airport in Three Forks, Montana, the Cessna 182H pitched down unexpectedly and bounced on the runway.
He realized the control lock device was still installed, but was unable to remove it before the aircraft hit the runway firmly enough to collapse the nose gear.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and left wing.
The pilot told investigators that due to the installation of new avionics, he modified the original flight control lock device, and it no longer covered the ignition switch. During the preflight inspection, he failed to remove the modified flight control lock.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in an attempted departure with the flight control lock device installed, and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.
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This May 2024 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Modifying equipment such as this is also known as: “Defeating a safety device”.
No “aviator” attempts a takeoff without completing at least one full control check unless he’s in an UNSAFE condition.
You can’t fix stupid
Even though there’s the control check on the pre-flight and pre-takeoff checklists, there have been cases involving very experienced pilots where the control lock is still in place when the takeoff is started. Maybe it was missed on the checklists – maybe it was re-engaged because of a delayed departure and then forgotten. I added an additional check – on the runway, I move the control wheel again to the stops just before pushing the throttle in.
Arrived to teach ground school, saw a student doing a preflight on one of our long-suffering 150s. Came out two hours later, he’s still doing the preflight.
Anything wrong?
No, I got called away and now I’m picking up the preflight where I left off.
How come the cowling is warm?
Turns out after he went away, someone else flew the airplane for an hour or so and returned it to the same parking spot. There was only about a cupful of fuel remaining.
“Well there was fuel in it when I checked it two hours ago . . .”
Moral – preflight is a hands-on eyes-on procedure. If you are interrupted/called away/pit stop/whatever, start again from line one at the top. You cannot know what happened to the airplane in your absence.
We hear a lot about accident causes and how all the holes in the Swiss cheese need to line up. I think some pilots are operating with only one slice of cheese.
Even at that, I think somebody tore off and ate half of their one slice.
And we wonder why insurance rates keep going up at the rate they do
Clearly this pilot has forgotten – or maybe didn’t learn that there something that is called the pre-take off check list item – full & free controls .
control check???