C210C PLT HAD THE ACFT PLASTIC CTL WHEEL SHATTER JUST AFTER TKOF. THIS ALSO RENDERED THE VHF COM INOP. HE ENTERED CLASS B IN THE CONFUSION.

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WE HAD JUST LIFTED OFF AT AWO AND WAS PULLING BACK ON PLT'S CTL TO CLB WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN PLT'S CTL WHEEL SNAPPED AND SHATTERED ALONG WITH PUSH TO TALK SWITCH. I NOW HAD NO WAY TO CALL ON RADIO AND CONTINUED TO CLB VFR TO SW VFR ON TOP. I WAS HEADED FOR PWT TO AVOID CLASS B AIRSPACE DUE TO IMC S OF SEA TAC ARPT AND TURB; MAKING IT HARD TO HOLD WHAT WAS LEFT OF CTL WHEEL. WHEN I REACHED 8500 FT MSL; MY WIFE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING SO A DSCNT WAS MADE TO TRY AND SCUD RUN PAST OLM. WX THERE WAS BELOW MVFR; WHEN I FINALLY FOUND AN OLD MIKE BEHIND SEAT AND CALLED OLYMPIA. I WAS ADVISED OF WX AND TOLD OF POSSIBLE CLASS B VIOLATION AND TO CALL LAND LINE. I ADVISED OLYMPIA TWR OF BUSTED PUSH TO TALK SWITCH AND CTL WHEEL. RETURNED TO TIW TACOMA; WASHINGTON IN VFR. LANDED AND HAD REPAIRS MADE TO CTL WHEEL AND PUSH TO TALK SWITCH. CONTINUED VFR TO 7S5 INDEPENDENCE; OR. THIS PLANE IS A 40 YR OLD CESSNA 210 WITH ORIGINAL PLASTIC CTL WHEELS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT FLEW THE ACFT BY HOLDING THE CTL WHEEL STUB. WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE HE BECAME PROFICIENT AT IT. THE PLT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. AFTER LNDG; THE PLT REMOVED THE SHATTERED CTL WHEEL AND REPLACED IT WITH THE ONE ON THE R SIDE. AFTER ARRIVING AT HIS HOME ARPT; HE REPLACED BOTH CTL WHEELS WITH ALUMINUM ONES. THE PLT WAS ASKED TO CONTACT THE LCL FSDO OFFICE TO EXPLAIN ACTIONS AND THE PROB. THE PLT HAS ALSO CONTACTED THE ACFT MANUFACTURER AND THE ACFT OWNERS ASSOC.