Pre-flight check gone bad. (PIREP)

[alex]

The report will be made with local NTSB.

[Jeff_S]

Quote: Immelman

Yikes. Yikes..

I would not count on the ability to fix this with trim once airborne. Unless a pilot detects this at about rotation at the latest, I think the outcome would be very bad. As much as I do not want to have an AD on my hands I think this ought to be reported.

Regarding checking the controls: I absolutely do this before each takeoff. Further, I suggest (and teach to students) 'boxing' the controls as follows: Full aft elevator, hold it --> full right aileron & hold it --> full forward elevator and hold that --> full left aileron, and so on, as if you're tracing the corner of a box. My thinking on this is that you're then exercising the moving parts behind the panel to their extremes in both axes.

 

 

[Jeff_S]

Quote: Immelman

Yikes. Yikes..

I would not count on the ability to fix this with trim once airborne. Unless a pilot detects this at about rotation at the latest, I think the outcome would be very bad. As much as I do not want to have an AD on my hands I think this ought to be reported.

Regarding checking the controls: I absolutely do this before each takeoff. Further, I suggest (and teach to students) 'boxing' the controls as follows: Full aft elevator, hold it --> full right aileron & hold it --> full forward elevator and hold that --> full left aileron, and so on, as if you're tracing the corner of a box. My thinking on this is that you're then exercising the moving parts behind the panel to their extremes in both axes.

 

 

[jetdriven]

Quote: WardHolbrook

Just a question...

Are you guys checking for full flight control (elevator and aileron) travel as you taxi out as part of your before takeoff checklist, everytime, every flight? It's normally not possible to check the rudder, since it's connected to the nose wheel, but at least you can check that for freedom and ease of movement. If not, you really should.

[WardHolbrook]

Quote: jetdriven

Ward, I pull the plane out of the parking spot and when  I turn the nose wheel full lock I also visually check the rudder.  You can do it in both directions.  Everything else can be seen from the cockpit for the control surfaces check.

[FAST FLIGHT OPTIONS LLC]

Here comes the next mandatory AD!

[Immelman]

Loosing a primary flight control surface is a survivable scenario on a well designed airplane. On your next flight, level your Mooney at 5000 ft or higher. ......

José

[M016576]

Quote: Immelman

It is not the failure at 5,000' which concerns me nearly as much as the control jamming nose-up at 5' or 50' just after takeoff.... I just don't think people could recognize that and run the trim in time to save it.

[ScubaSteve]

Quote: WardHolbrook

Just a question...

Are you guys checking for full flight control (elevator and aileron) travel as you taxi out as part of your before takeoff checklist, everytime, every flight? It's normally not possible to check the rudder, since it's connected to the nose wheel, but at least you can check that for freedom and ease of movement. If not, you really should.

[ScubaSteve]

Quote: Jeff_S

Loosing a primary flight control surface is a survivable scenario on a well designed airplane. On your next flight, level your Mooney at 5000 ft or higher. Simulating an approach to land maintain 5000 but lower the power and extend full flaps while trimming nose up to about 70kts without use of the elevator. Let it stabilize at 70kts and check your attitude with the horizon. This would be your attitude over the runway when ready to flare. To increase pitch angle quickly during flare raise the flaps. You will notice now the nose comming up on the horizon just as you would do with the elevator just before touch down. As the nose comes up the stall warning may get triggered just as it would during touchdown. To make it more interesting try the above with no hands on the yoke by controlling roll with the rudder pedals only. Mooney rudder control is excellent for directional control. If you were able to perform the above it indicates that your Mooney is well rig and that you are a skilled pilot. It is a good idea to teach students to fly with secondary control surfaces. It gives them an option in such an emergency situation. 

José

[PTK]

Same here. Trim for airspeed and throttle for descent rate.

[jlunseth]

Hey, all this talk about using trim to correct a jammed elevator makes me nervous.  You guys do know how trim works don't you?  Think about it.

 

[Hank]

Sure--it pivots the entire empennage [stabilizers, elevators, rudder], without using the [jammed] control yoke. Presumably the bungees would stretch a little but not stop the motion.

[OR75]

from my student pilot days, I remember hearing: "don't fly the plane with the trim"

I case of an emergency ... anything that will get me safe on the ground will be on the table (just like in Appolo 13)