The airplane was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at about 1415 Eastern time. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. After flying in for lunch, the pilot and his passenger attempted to depart. The airplane accelerated and lifted off the runway normally. However, the elevator control was “frozen” and could not be moved. The pilot reduced engine power and aborted the takeoff. The airplane struck the runway hard and bounced before coming to rest. Its nose gear collapsed and the firewall was substantially damaged. Examination revealed the nut securing the shock mount to the instrument panel was missing. A portion of the instrument panel had shifted downward, and the directional gyro housing was in contact with a portion of the yoke control rigging.
February 18, 2011, Reading, Penn., Cessna 177B Cardinal
The airplane was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at about 1415 Eastern time. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. After flying in for lunch, the pilot and his passenger attempted to depart. The airplane accelerated and lifted off the runway normally. However, the elevator control was "frozen" and could not be moved.
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff due to a "frozen" elevator control after liftoff.
- The elevator control was obstructed by the directional gyro housing, which had shifted downwards due to a missing nut on the instrument panel's shock mount.
- Although the aircraft suffered a collapsed nose gear and substantially damaged firewall upon striking the runway, the commercial pilot and passenger were not injured.
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