Incident Details
On 26 July 2018, during a scheduled 50-hour maintenance check of a SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider (registration SP-3204) at Warszawa Babice airfield (EPBC), maintenance personnel discovered a defect in the rudder control system. A crack was found in the left rudder pedal base in the front cockpit. The right pedal was missing part of its pedal arm. The left base remained in place, but the right assembly was incomplete. The operator could not determine when the defect occurred or identify its cause.
Cause
The investigation determined that the incident was caused by fatigue weakening of the rudder control structure, which was associated with the operation of the glider. No contributing circumstances were identified.
Outcome
The repair of the rudder pedals in the front cockpit was carried out at the SZD glider factory using a task card and in accordance with Part 145 maintenance standards. After the repair, the glider was deemed airworthy. The investigation did not propose any preventive recommendations or additional safety recommendations.