A C172 STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO FLT EXPERIENCES CTL PROBS WITH HIS RUDDER AND PERFORMS AN UNAUTH LNDG ON RWY 24; AN INACTIVE RWY AT HYA; MA.

Narrative

RENTED C172 FOR SOLO PRACTICE AT AN FBO OTHER THAN MY HOME ARPT. AFTER TKOF RWY 15; AND COMING OUT OF XWIND TURN TO L; ACT WAS SUDDENLY HARD TO CTL (YAW) AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUDDER NECESSARY TO HOLD DIRECTION. CLR OF TFC; I LANDED ON AN INACTIVE RWY 24. PREOCCUPIED WITH THE PROB; I FAILED TO NOTIFY ATC WHILE IN THE AIR AND ALSO ONCE ON THE GND NOT BEING SURE OF WHAT TO SAY OVER THE RADIO ABOUT IT. GOT PERMISSION AND TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO. AFTER LNDG; I FIGURED THE TRIM HANDLE BASE OF COLUMN POPPED OUT OF SETTING. RPTED SIT TO THE DESK. THE A&P MECH RESET HANDLE AND BENT TRIM TAB. WENT BACK UP WITH AN INSTRUCTOR THIS TIME. ACFT FLEW FINE. AT A LATER TIME I CHKED IN WITH THE TWR ON ADVICE OF MY HOME ARPT INSTRUCTOR AND SPOKE TO ATC MGR. ALL WAS OK WITH THEM. NO OTHER TFC AT THE TIME; ETC. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS; ETC: A 2 HR CHK RIDE WAS REQUIRED BY THE FBO BEFORE THIS ACFT WAS RENTED; HOWEVER. NOSEWHEEL STRUT NOISE; BOTTOMING OUT; ETC AND WHEN TURNED. FLAP DETENT WAS WORN OUT ON ACTUATING HANDLE. THIS MODEL WAS THE THIRD OF THE TYPE AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RUDDER TRIM CTL ON THIS TYPE C172 (NO TRIM FOR RUDDER ON THE OTHER 2 C172'S I'VE FLOWN). OBVIOUSLY MY PERCEPTION OF AN 'IMMINENT CTL FAILURE' WAS WRONG. HAD I BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT AND ITS RUDDER TRIM; I JUST WOULD HAVE REACHED DOWN AND RESET IT. ALSO; I FORGOT TO NOTIFY ATC OF PROB. HAVING BEEN TRAINED IN OTHER EMERS SUCH AS ENG OUT; FIRE; ETC; I HAD NOT BEEN TRAINED IN ANY WAY TO BE PREPARED FOR A POSSIBLE 'CTL FAILURE.' IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE! BEING MORE AWARE WHEN RENTING UNFAMILIAR MODELS OF SAME ACFT WOULD ALSO HAVE HELPED. HOPE THIS RPT DOES.