What happened
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot experienced a sharp jolt in the rudder pedals while the landing gear was in the process of retracting. Following this event, the aircraft ceased to respond to left rudder pedal inputs. The pilot declared an emergency and subsequently completed an uneventful landing.
The investigation
A postflight examination of the aircraft identified that the left rudder control cable had failed near a control pulley located in the aft fuselage. Investigators noted that the two cable retaining pins on the pulley bracket exhibited cable scrape marks at their midpoints. Records indicated that the cable had been installed three months prior to the incident and had accumulated 183 hours of service. A metallurgical examination of the failed cable provided evidence that a portion of the strands had failed due to fatigue.