Incident Overview
A pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, while retracting the landing gear, he felt a sharp jolt in the rudder pedals. Subsequently, the aircraft would no longer respond to left rudder pedal input. The pilot declared an emergency and performed an uneventful landing.
Postflight Examination
Examination of the aircraft after landing revealed that the left rudder control cable had failed in proximity to a control pulley in the aft fuselage. The two cable retaining pins on the pulley bracket showed cable scrape marks at their midpoints.
Cable History and Metallurgical Findings
The cable had been installed three months before the incident and had accumulated 183 hours in service. A metallurgical examination of the failed cable indicated that at least a portion of its strands had failed due to fatigue.