Incident Overview
During the takeoff roll at an indicated airspeed of about 70 to 75 knots, the pilot felt the nose of the airplane dip and then rise off the ground. The pilot responded by pushing the control yoke forward to level the airplane. The nose contacted the runway, and the airplane skidded to a stop, at which point the landing gear collapsed.
Examination Findings
Post-incident examination of the airplane revealed that the stabilator trim rod forward attachment hardware and the aft attachment nut were not installed. Photographs of the stabilator trim tab attachment point showed that it was visible and not obscured by any cowlings or coverings. The loss of the forward attachment hardware would result in an abnormal response, or "lightening," of the stabilator control.
Maintenance History
Approximately 60 flight hours and 11 months prior to the incident, a repair station had removed, repaired, and reinstalled the stabilator trim tab.