SMA ABORTS TKOF WHEN RUDDER CAP FLEW OFF ACFT DURING INITIAL ROLL. ACFT HAD BEEN HURRIED OUT OF MAINT FOR THIS TRAINING FLT. INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT MADE A HURRIED INSPECTION OF ACFT AND GOT GND CREW ASSURANCES OF ACFT'S CONDITION.

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DURING TKOF ROLL; PLASTIC CAP ON TOP OF RUDDER BLEW OFF; RESULTING IN ABORTED TKOF. I HAD LET THE STUDENT; A 70 HR STUDENT PLT WHO IS A MECH BY TRADE; PERFORM THE PREFLT. BEFORE BOARDING THE ACFT; I MADE A QUICK VISUAL INSPECTION FOR OBVIOUS PROBS; PAYING MORE CAREFUL ATTN TO THE NOSE STRUT; WHICH HAD JUST RECEIVED MAINT. I DID NOT PERFORM A THOROUGH INSPECTION; TAKING THE WORD OF THE SOMEWHAT EXPERIENCED STUDENT. AS IT TURNED OUT; THE RUDDER CAP; THOUGH IN PLACE; WAS NOT SCREWED ON -- ALTHOUGH AT A GLANCE; WHEN REPLACED AFTERWARDS; THE MARKS AROUND THE SCREW HOLES GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF BEING FASTENED. THE MORNING OF THE FLT; THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN HASTILY PULLED OUT OF A MAINT JOB IN PROGRESS. I HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE NOSE STRUT REPAIR; WHICH WAS APPARENTLY COMPLETED; BUT UNAWARE THAT WORK WAS ALSO BEING PERFORMED ON THE RUDDER. IN THE RUSH TO GET THE AIRPLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR; SOMEONE REPLACED THE RUDDER CAP BUT DID NOT SCREW IT ON. IN MY OPINION; THE CAUSES WERE: 1) DISPATCHING BY MGMNT OF AN ACFT IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAINT JOB. MONEY OVER SAFETY. 2) SLOPPY PROC IN REPLACING AN AIRPLANE PART WITHOUT SCREWING IT ON. 3) POOR COM BTWN MAINT; MGMNT AND FLC ABOUT MAINT PERFORMED ON ACFT. 4) INADEQUATE PREFLT BY STUDENT -- SINCE CORRECTED! 5) MY TAKING THE WORD OF THE STUDENT THAT THE PREFLT WAS COMPLETE AND THE WORD OF THE MECH I ASKED THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY IN LIEU OF A COMPLETE VISUAL INSPECTION. 6) MY LOOKING ONLY AT THE PART I KNEW HAD BEEN MAINTAINED; NOT THE WHOLE AIRPLANE; WHICH FROM NOW ON I WILL DO IF EVER WORK HAS BEEN DONE.