At approximately 11:32 eastern time, a Cessna 152 was substantially damaged during takeoff from Cross Keys Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot, who held a flight instructor certificate and was flying from the right seat, reported that the controls felt spongy during takeoff. About half way down the runway, he felt a snap, and experienced a partial control failure. The pilot then felt a second snap and the right control yoke broke off the control column. He reduced the power and the airplane began to drift toward the right side of the runway. The airplane then impacted the middle of a 40-foot tall tree, and came to rest inverted on the ground. The pilot-rated passenger said the yoke broke at an altitude of about 20 feet.
Dec. 2, Cross Keys, N.J. / Cessna 152
At approximately 11:32 eastern time, a Cessna 152 was substantially damaged during takeoff from Cross Keys Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot, who held a flight instructor certificate and was flying from the right seat, reported that the controls felt spongy during takeoff. About half way down the runway, he felt a snap, and experienced a partial control failure. The pilot then felt a second snap and the right control yoke broke off the control column. He reduced the power and the airplane began to drift toward the right side of the runway. The airplane then impacted the middle of a 40-foot tall tree, and came to rest inverted on the ground. The pilot-rated passen...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 152 sustained substantial damage during takeoff from Cross Keys Airport after the right control yoke broke off, leading to a loss of control.
- The flight instructor pilot reported feeling "spongy" controls and two distinct "snaps" before the yoke completely detached.
- Despite the aircraft impacting a tree and coming to rest inverted, both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were uninjured.
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