What happened
On September 17, 2000, at approximately 12:10, a privately operated Jodel D18 was taxiing at Castres aerodrome following a landing on runway 32. While taxiing toward an eastern parking area, the pilot applied brakes and initiated a right turn at the midpoint of the runway to enter the taxiway. As the aircraft entered the turn, the pilot applied left rudder to realign the aircraft with the taxiway centerline, but the aircraft failed to respond to the control input. The aircraft continued its rightward trajectory, exiting the paved surface and entering the grass. During the excursion, the aircraft struck a sign that had gone unnoticed by the pilot and eventually came to rest in a ditch. The incident resulted in damage to the left wing and propeller.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the rudder controls failed to steer the aircraft during the turn. It was established that the aircraft's tailwheel is connected to the rudder pedals via two shackles, each secured by a nut. To facilitate manual movement of the aircraft on the ground, the pilot frequently disconnects the tailwheel from the rudder assembly by removing these shackles.
On the day of the accident, the pilot had removed the shackles after moving the aircraft out of the hangar but failed to reinstall them. The pilot stated that the pre-flight inspection was incomplete due to several distractions. Specifically, the pilot was being pressured by another pilot who was already prepared for departure, and the pilot's attention was further diverted by the arrival of an unidentified vehicle on the aerodrome. The pilot noted that the lack of steering connection was not apparent during the initial taxiing phase.