What happened
Following takeoff, the pilot of the Cessna (type not specified) reported that the elevator flight control became unresponsive. During this period, pitch control was only possible through the use of the elevator trim.
The pilot proceeded to Fayetteville Regional Airport and requested the longest available runway to perform an emergency landing. As the aircraft entered the landing flare and engine power was reduced, the nose dropped. This resulted in the nose wheel colliding with the runway, causing the gear to collapse. There were no injuries reported following the incident.
The investigation
An examination of the airframe identified that the left elevator cable assembly turnbuckle had suffered corrosion and subsequently fractured. Maintenance records indicated that the failed assembly had been in service for 25 years and had accumulated a total of 2,633 hours.