A MAULE M-7 AFTER TAKEOFF AND LEVEL OFF AT 1500 FT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF ELEVATOR CONTROL.

Narrative

PREFLIGHT AND RUN UP WERE NORMAL. AFTER TAKEOFF THE ACFT CLIMBED NORMALLY. DURING LEVEL-OFF; AND WHILE TURNING TO A RIGHT BASE LEG; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT PITCH CONTROL WAS DIMINISHING. THE YOKE WAS NOT MOVING FORWARD OR AFT WITHOUT INCREASING CONTROL PRESSURES BEYOND A REASONABLE LEVEL (30-40LBS). WE NOTIFIED TOWER AND DECLARED EMERGENCY. PITCH WAS CONTROLLED BY MANUAL TRIM MOVEMENTS; AND A SAFE LANDING WAS MADE. UPON INSPECTION; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE YOKE ASSEMBLY WAS BINDING ALONG A GUIDE BAR UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MECH REMOVED THE GUIDE BLOCKS AND LUBRICATED THE BAR; REPLACING THE BLOCKS; WHICH HAS RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE GUIDE IS POWDER-COATED; ADDING TO THE FRICTION WITH THE BLOCKS. MAULE FACTORY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED; WITHOUT RESPONSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ANY MOVEMENT OF THE ELEVATORS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED ABOUT 40 POUNDS OF FORCE AND REMAINED THIS WAY ON THE GROUND. THE RPTR SAID A TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DISCOVERED A ROUND POWDER COATED CONTROL ROD CLAMPED BETWEEN TWO TEFLON 'V' SHAPED BLOCKS WAS BINDING. THE RPTR STATED THE PWDER COATED ROD SURFACE WAS MADE SMOOTH WITH EMERY CLOTH AND THE BLOCKS SPRAYED WITH SILICONE SPRAY. THE RPTR SAID THE OPERATION OF THE ELEVATORS WERE SMOOTH AFTER THIS REPAIR. THE RPTR STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED BY PHONE OF THIS INCIDENT AND REPORTED NO PREVIOUS INCIDENTS OF ELEVATOR PROBLEMS.