Accident
On February 18, 2011, about 1415 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177B, registration N11625, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at Reading Regional Airport (RDG), Reading, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Flight History
According to the pilot, he and the passenger departed Doylestown Airport (DYL), Doylestown, Pennsylvania, at 1200, and flew to RDG without incident for lunch. After lunch, the pilot attempted to depart RDG from runway 31, a 6,350-foot-long, 150-foot-wide asphalt runway. The airplane accelerated and lifted off normally; however, the pilot noticed that the elevator control was "frozen" and could not be moved. He reduced engine power and aborted the takeoff. The airplane struck the runway hard and bounced before coming to rest.
Damage and Examination
The nose gear collapsed, and the firewall was substantially damaged. Examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the nut securing the shock mount to the pilot's instrument panel on the right side was missing, and the left side shock mount was sheared. A portion of the instrument panel had shifted downward, and the directional gyro housing contacted a portion of the yoke control column, restricting its movement.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that flight controls moved freely during pre-takeoff checks.
Maintenance History
According to the FAA inspector, the airplane had been operated for about 60 hours since its most recent annual inspection, performed on September 27, 2010.