Precautionary Landing Ends with Gear-Up Touchdown After Flight Control Difficulty (N3882Y)

Incident Sequence

While on the base leg of a precautionary landing, the flight crew heard a loud bang and the aircraft began to roll to the right. Control forces became heavy, prompting the other pilot in the front seat to assist with the controls. The crew initially suspected aileron failure. The pilot then noticed that the right flap was retracted and began raising the flaps. He reported that the other pilot's control inputs confused and alarmed him, and he yielded to passenger requests to land immediately. He raised the landing gear and touched down on plowed ground before the gear was fully retracted. The aircraft slid approximately 200 feet and nosed over.

Investigation Findings

Examination revealed that the only control problem was a failed push-pull rod (Cessna P/N 120058-2) on the right flap. The rod failed in overload, and one side of the fracture surface exhibited rust, indicating pre-existing damage. The rods had accumulated 2,040 hours of service. The most recent inspection was an annual check performed 19 tach hours prior to the accident.