On May 27, 1991, a Cessna 177B (registration N19823) operated by Young, Roy M was involved in an aviation accident near Huntsville, AL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMOVE THE CONTROL LOCK PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING FLIGHT AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE 'BEFORE TAKEOFF' CHECKLIST. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot used an unflagged bolt as a flight control lock after shutdown, then failed to remove it during preflight. During takeoff, the pilot remembered the bolt, attempted removal, and the aircraft struck the runway nose gear first.
Incident Overview
The pilot reported that after shutting down the aircraft, a bolt was used as a flight control lock on the yoke. This bolt was not flagged. The flagged control lock pin had previously been misplaced. When the pilot returned to the airplane on Monday, he failed to remove the bolt during the preflight inspection.
Sequence of Events
During taxi to the runup area, the pilot noted that the attitude indicator had not erected. He skipped to the engine runup on the checklist and failed to check the flight controls. During the takeoff roll, the pilot remembered the bolt. He attempted to remove the bolt while the aircraft was moving. The aircraft lifted off, and he retarded the throttle. The nose pitched down, and the airplane struck the runway nose gear first.
Outcome
The aircraft sustained damage to the nose gear from the impact with the runway.