Incident Overview
During the takeoff ground run, the aircraft veered off the runway to the left and entered vegetated desert terrain. The nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft nosed over.
Pilot Statement
The pilot indicated that during the takeoff, his seat slid rearward. As a result, he was unable to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals.
Examination Findings
A post-incident examination of the aircraft revealed that the hardware used to assemble the fore-aft seat adjustment assembly was incorrect. Specifically, one cotter pin was installed instead of a clevis pin with a small cotter pin in the upper portion of the fore-aft seat adjustment locking pin. Additionally, one cotter pin was installed instead of a roll-pin on the lower portion of the same locking pin. The installation of these cotter pins allowed too much play, causing the fore-aft seat adjustment locking pin not to engage the seat rail properly.