Pilot Debrief

T&T AVIATION INC FALCON LS near Lee's Summit, MO — 2011-08-01

Final reportCEN11LA542
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Date
2011-08-01
Location
Lee's Summit, MO, USA
Airport
LXT
Aircraft
T&T AVIATION INC FALCON LS
Registration
N785TT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

A binding condition in the left rudder cable which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, when the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane veered to the left and departed the runway pavement. The pilot's efforts to maintain control were not effective, and the airplane struck several runway signs before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage, and the nose landing gear collapsed during the accident sequence. A postaccident examination revealed a binding condition in the rudder cables. Deflection of the rudder to the right required a nominal force; however, centering the rudder from a right deflection required substantial force. The rudder tended to suddenly release and go hard left when the binding was overcome. Further investigation identified an approximate 10-degree bend near the forward end of the left Teleflex rudder cable. The airplane manufacturer stated they intended to remove the sleeved (Teleflex) cables and incorporate standard aircraft cables on all future production airplanes.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing after normal touchdown if control was lost.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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