Incident Overview
On May 8, 2008, at approximately 1716 local time, an American Champion Aircraft Corporation 7GCBC, registered as VH-MWY, experienced a loss of rudder and elevator effectiveness while in flight west of Camden aerodrome in New South Wales, Australia. The incident occurred after a control cable separated in-flight.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was operating west of Camden aerodrome when the control cable failure resulted in degraded rudder and elevator control. Despite the impairment, the pilot managed to return to Camden aerodrome and land the airplane safely. No injuries were reported.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was an American Champion Aircraft Corporation 7GCBC, a two-seat, single-engine taildragger commonly used for training and recreational flying. The Australian registration VH-MWY was assigned to this airframe. The investigation did not disclose the engine type or other specific details.
Investigation
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigated the occurrence. As of the released report, no probable cause was cited. The ATSB's findings are limited to the factual information provided in their summary.