What happened
During a departure from Jeddah bound for Riyadh, a Douglas DC-4 operated by Saudia experienced significant flight control issues immediately after lift-off. The aircraft entered an abnormally steep climb, and the crew found it impossible to move the control column forward. To prevent a stall, the crew applied full forward trim and decreased engine power; however, the aircraft stalled and entered a near-vertical descent.
At a very low altitude, the crew managed to recover the aircraft by reapplying power and pulling back on the controls. This recovery led to a secondary climb that threatened another stall. The flight crew prevented this second stall by reducing power and executing a left turn. Because returning to the runway was not an option, the crew performed a forced belly landing in the vicinity of the airport.
While all 72 occupants were evacuated from the aircraft without injury, the plane sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the flight mechanic did not properly secure the gust lock in the position required to unlock the controls before takeoff. Additionally, a spring on the tail skid fairing was improperly attached to the elevator control lock mechanism. This-improperly attached spring created tension that prevented the elevator from moving downward when the gust lock was not fully disengaged. The incident was further compounded by the fact that neither the captain nor the flight mechanic performed a manual or visual check to confirm the gust lock was in the correct position prior to departure.