What happened
During a scheduled maintenance test flight, an aircraft experienced a sudden and uncontrolled roll to the right immediately after takeoff. Witnesses reported that the aircraft began a rapid right-hand roll, leading to the right wing tip striking the ground. The flight was being conducted to verify the completion of airworthiness directive 87-02-02, which mandated the replacement of all primary flight control cables.
There were three fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft. The crew included a quality control inspector who had previously inspected and authorized the maintenance work. Prior to the flight, this inspector had briefed the crew regarding the scope of the recent maintenance and the specific objectives of the test flight.
Findings
Post-accident investigation of the wreckage identified a critical error in the installation of the newly replaced flight control cables. Investigators discovered that a half-turn in the cable routing had been missed on both control columns. This specific error caused the ailerons to operate in the opposite direction of the pilot's commands, leading to the loss of control during the initial climb.