Control wheel breaks during flare maneuver on a C172. Landing was firm, but successful.

Attributes
ACN	470684
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3sq.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 5
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	470684
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During landing flare the control yoke handle snapped in 2 at the approximately 8 O'clock position on the handle. This caused a momentary mild pitch nose down and sooner than planned contact of the main landing gear with the approach end of the runway. Further loss of control was avoided by the pilot grasping the control yoke post directly to complete the rest of the landing uneventfully. The wind condition was calm. This may have been much more significant an event if crosswind had been significant. The cause of the problem was failure to notice or lack of any signs of fatigue on the control yoke handle which was molded plastic. The aircraft is vintage 1963 and otherwise in excellent maintenance condition. Careful inspection of these handles during preflight might reveal telltale cracks -- I'm not sure. I have always accepted the handles as a high integrity item if they look and feel smooth to the touch and feel firmly mounted and properly aligned with aileron position during preflight checks. Both handles will be metal replacements before next flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that this was the right control wheel. The left had been replaced several yrs earlier due to deterioration.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTL WHEEL BREAKS DURING FLARE MANEUVER ON A C172. LNDG WAS FIRM, BUT SUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: DURING LNDG FLARE THE CTL YOKE HANDLE SNAPPED IN 2 AT THE APPROX 8 O'CLOCK POS ON THE HANDLE. THIS CAUSED A MOMENTARY MILD PITCH NOSE DOWN AND SOONER THAN PLANNED CONTACT OF THE MAIN LNDG GEAR WITH THE APCH END OF THE RWY. FURTHER LOSS OF CTL WAS AVOIDED BY THE PLT GRASPING THE CTL YOKE POST DIRECTLY TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE LNDG UNEVENTFULLY. THE WIND CONDITION WAS CALM. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT AN EVENT IF XWIND HAD BEEN SIGNIFICANT. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS FAILURE TO NOTICE OR LACK OF ANY SIGNS OF FATIGUE ON THE CTL YOKE HANDLE WHICH WAS MOLDED PLASTIC. THE ACFT IS VINTAGE 1963 AND OTHERWISE IN EXCELLENT MAINT CONDITION. CAREFUL INSPECTION OF THESE HANDLES DURING PREFLT MIGHT REVEAL TELLTALE CRACKS -- I'M NOT SURE. I HAVE ALWAYS ACCEPTED THE HANDLES AS A HIGH INTEGRITY ITEM IF THEY LOOK AND FEEL SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH AND FEEL FIRMLY MOUNTED AND PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH AILERON POS DURING PREFLT CHKS. BOTH HANDLES WILL BE METAL REPLACEMENTS BEFORE NEXT FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THIS WAS THE R CTL WHEEL. THE L HAD BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL YRS EARLIER DUE TO DETERIORATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.