Cirrus SR20 N691CD

Summary

On 7 April 2007 at about 18:30 local time, a Cirrus SR20 registered N691CD, operated by Discover Flight, was involved in an incident near Leesburg, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 April 2007 at 18:30

Classification

Incident

Location

Leesburg, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)

Coordinates

39.0686, -77.5625

Aircraft

Cirrus SR20

Registration

N691CD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Discover Flight

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leesburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07IA092

Nobody was injured.

The airplane manufacturer's inadequate rudder-aileron interconnect rigging information. Contributing to the incident was the design of the rudder-aileron interconnect system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the beginning of its takeoff roll, the aileron and rudder controls of a Cirrus SR20 jammed when the student pilot applied full right rudder while simultaneously applying full left aileron. No previous control problems had been reported to have occurred since the airplane was delivered new. Review of the incident airplane's maintenance records did not reveal any previous control problems or any re-rigging of its flight control system since delivery. At the time of the incident, the airplane had accumulated 509 total hours in service. Examination of the airplane revealed that with simultaneous full left aileron and full right rudder inputs, the rudder-aileron interconnect (RAI) arm captured the forward RAI bungee clamp, and locked the yaw and roll controls. The airplane was configured in accordance with the existing design, manufacturing and maintenance guidance and procedures. During the investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board was also notified of an occurrence of control interference with another SR-20, and instances of RAI bungee cord slippage through the bungee cord clamps, which could result in increased roll control input forces or adverse effects on the operation of the aileron trim system. Evidence indicated that the existing design and rigging guidance was insufficient to prevent control interference and clamp slippage. The manufacturer issued a mandatory service bulletin which changed the rigging procedures and RAI hardware. During the course of the investigation, the service bulletin was revised three times as safety information was garnered from airplane examinations and bungee testing. The Federal Aviation Administration also issued an airworthiness directive making the changes mandatory.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.