Incident Sequence
The pilot completed a local flight with a passenger seated in the front seat. After landing, the passenger exited the airplane. The pilot then departed on another local flight. During the approach for landing, while the airplane was turning from base leg to final, the pilot found that the left rudder pedal could not be moved. The airplane entered a right-hand spiral, struck a tree, and impacted the terrain.
Damage and Examination
The collision resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the front seat belt buckle had jammed between the rear seat rudder pedal and the floor board. The jammed buckle was located in a position that obstructed the movement of the left rudder pedal.