Narrative:

I was returning to mcbride airport jul/X/89 at OX30 pm after having attended an eaa meeting at cedar rapids municipal in my spc racer. On downwind leg to runway 30, I saw a friend wave to me from the nearby neighborhood. I rocked my wings and suddenly heard a loud noise. The aircraft rolled violently to inverted position. I pulled back on the stick and fortunately leveled out about 100' over the houses, altitude confirmed later by observer. I managed to climb a bit and took time to look the aircraft over. The left aileron was disconnected. Every time I attempted to level the wings, it would roll again to the left. Again, fortunately, I needed only left turns to make the runway and landed without incident. I discovered that the rear taper pin had slipped out, causing the left wing to fall about an inch, pulling out the aileron. The pin slipped out evidently because I failed to put the nut on when I put the wings on in april. The aircraft does not appear to have suffered any damage. I am making this report because an observer may have thought I was doing aerobatics over a congested area. In fact, a neighbor came to the airport afterward and threatened to report me to the FAA. I convinced him that it was not intentional. He saw the airplane and said he would not report me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOME BUILT RACER REPORTED TO HAVE A MAINTENANCE INDUCED PROBLEM. ENDS UP IN SITUATION WHERE PLT IS THOUGHT TO HAVE DELIBERATELY PERFORMED ACROBATICS AT LOW ALT.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO MCBRIDE ARPT JUL/X/89 AT OX30 PM AFTER HAVING ATTENDED AN EAA MEETING AT CEDAR RAPIDS MUNICIPAL IN MY SPC RACER. ON DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 30, I SAW A FRIEND WAVE TO ME FROM THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD. I ROCKED MY WINGS AND SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD NOISE. THE ACFT ROLLED VIOLENTLY TO INVERTED POSITION. I PULLED BACK ON THE STICK AND FORTUNATELY LEVELED OUT ABOUT 100' OVER THE HOUSES, ALT CONFIRMED LATER BY OBSERVER. I MANAGED TO CLIMB A BIT AND TOOK TIME TO LOOK THE ACFT OVER. THE LEFT AILERON WAS DISCONNECTED. EVERY TIME I ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE WINGS, IT WOULD ROLL AGAIN TO THE LEFT. AGAIN, FORTUNATELY, I NEEDED ONLY LEFT TURNS TO MAKE THE RWY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR TAPER PIN HAD SLIPPED OUT, CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO FALL ABOUT AN INCH, PULLING OUT THE AILERON. THE PIN SLIPPED OUT EVIDENTLY BECAUSE I FAILED TO PUT THE NUT ON WHEN I PUT THE WINGS ON IN APRIL. THE ACFT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUFFERED ANY DAMAGE. I AM MAKING THIS REPORT BECAUSE AN OBSERVER MAY HAVE THOUGHT I WAS DOING AEROBATICS OVER A CONGESTED AREA. IN FACT, A NEIGHBOR CAME TO THE ARPT AFTERWARD AND THREATENED TO REPORT ME TO THE FAA. I CONVINCED HIM THAT IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE AND SAID HE WOULD NOT REPORT ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.