Incident Overview
On short final approach, the flight crew detected restricted up-elevator movement. They initiated a go-around and managed pitch control using engine power. Despite these efforts, an excessive descent rate and airspeed led to a hard landing.
Post-Incident Examination
A post-incident examination found a loose upper elevator stop bolt that had contacted a stringer in the aircraft structure. This contact prevented further movement of the control column, causing the restriction.
Maintenance History
Records indicated that sixteen flights prior to the incident, extensive work had been performed on the elevator quadrant. During that maintenance, hardware was described as being 'loosely installed' on the quadrant to prevent its loss. The position of a nut run down on the bolt was noted to closely resemble the appearance of a properly torqued nut.