Accident Summary
On October 7, 2020, at about 1550 central daylight time, an American Champion Aircraft model 7ECA, registration N790L, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion near Longview, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 maintenance flight, with the purpose of breaking in the freshly overhauled engine. The flight lasted about 2 hours before the pilot returned to the airport to land.
Sequence of Events
Upon landing, the airplane drifted to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder input, but the right rudder pedal moved full forward, preventing use of the rudder or right brake. The airplane continued to the left, exited the runway, and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage near the landing gear attachment.
Postaccident Findings
During postaccident examination, it was discovered that the MS20392-2C19 clevis pin that attached the right rudder pedal to the right brake master cylinder had disconnected. The clevis pin was found in the belly pan of the airplane. The illustrated parts manual for the airplane showed that the clevis pin was to be secured in position with an AN380-2-2 cotter key. No cotter key was found in the airplane after the accident.
Maintenance History
A review of the aircraft maintenance records showed that the most recent maintenance performed on the rudder pedals occurred during an annual inspection on September 27, 2019. The airplane had accumulated about 500 hours since that annual inspection. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed on October 2, 2020.