Narrative:

Due to several mistakes on the part of this pilot and several contributing conditions, this pilot left the control lock to the aileron portion of the controls. Upon departure the aircraft drifted from the runway in a quartering crosswind and the pilot realized what had happened, but only after rotation and lift off. The small transport drifted off to the side of the runway, the pilot electing to return immediately to the runway, used rudder control to correct the drift and cut power. The rudder control at the low speed caused a bank in the opp direction. The pilot used all his force to bank the airplane level, braking the yoke loose from the control lock. The airplane impacted the ground on the left main gear, bounced onto the nose, causing some stress damage to the nose section of the aircraft. The pilot taxied the aircraft back to the ramp. No injuries were sustained, but the pilot was seen kicking himself in the head and cussing up a storm. Contributing factors: pilot complacency--he flew the plane single pilot on a scheduled run 5 days/week. Under pressure--he has a schedule to meet, cargo must be at ont by a set time or miss the connecting aircraft. He was running late as always due to overdue drivers with his work. Flow pattern not backed up by a checklist. Checklist was available but he 'knows this aircraft too well' to need one all the time and rushing for takeoff prohibited reading it on taxiout. The sun was directly in the pilot's eyes upon takeoff and he didn't see the control lock as to be able to remove it, if he remembered being installed. The pilot was adopting a new procedure of his own--to taxi with the control lock in during gusty wind conditions after being hit in the face with the heavy control yoke a week or so earlier when he leaned over to pick up a commercial chart manual. There is no excuse for this though for a time I tried to conceal the fact. It eventually came out that I screwed up and I owned up to it. This may ruin my career entirely now and I've spent 12 uneventful yrs working on it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: this control lock is behind the control column but pilot admitted error in not completely removing lock before taxi. Figures will violate him as are already investigating and threatening action.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT STARTED TKOF WITH AILERON PORTION OF CONTROL LOCK ENGAGED. ABORTED TKOF 40' IN AIR RESULTING IN HARD LNDG AND ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: DUE TO SEVERAL MISTAKES ON THE PART OF THIS PLT AND SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING CONDITIONS, THIS PLT LEFT THE CTL LOCK TO THE AILERON PORTION OF THE CTLS. UPON DEP THE ACFT DRIFTED FROM THE RWY IN A QUARTERING XWIND AND THE PLT REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BUT ONLY AFTER ROTATION AND LIFT OFF. THE SMT DRIFTED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY, THE PLT ELECTING TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO THE RWY, USED RUDDER CTL TO CORRECT THE DRIFT AND CUT PWR. THE RUDDER CTL AT THE LOW SPD CAUSED A BANK IN THE OPP DIRECTION. THE PLT USED ALL HIS FORCE TO BANK THE AIRPLANE LEVEL, BRAKING THE YOKE LOOSE FROM THE CONTROL LOCK. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GND ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, BOUNCED ONTO THE NOSE, CAUSING SOME STRESS DAMAGE TO THE NOSE SECTION OF THE ACFT. THE PLT TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE RAMP. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, BUT THE PLT WAS SEEN KICKING HIMSELF IN THE HEAD AND CUSSING UP A STORM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PLT COMPLACENCY--HE FLEW THE PLANE SINGLE PLT ON A SCHEDULED RUN 5 DAYS/WK. UNDER PRESSURE--HE HAS A SCHEDULE TO MEET, CARGO MUST BE AT ONT BY A SET TIME OR MISS THE CONNECTING ACFT. HE WAS RUNNING LATE AS ALWAYS DUE TO OVERDUE DRIVERS WITH HIS WORK. FLOW PATTERN NOT BACKED UP BY A CHKLIST. CHKLIST WAS AVAILABLE BUT HE 'KNOWS THIS ACFT TOO WELL' TO NEED ONE ALL THE TIME AND RUSHING FOR TKOF PROHIBITED READING IT ON TAXIOUT. THE SUN WAS DIRECTLY IN THE PLT'S EYES UPON TKOF AND HE DIDN'T SEE THE CONTROL LOCK AS TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT, IF HE REMEMBERED BEING INSTALLED. THE PLT WAS ADOPTING A NEW PROC OF HIS OWN--TO TAXI WITH THE CONTROL LOCK IN DURING GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AFTER BEING HIT IN THE FACE WITH THE HEAVY CONTROL YOKE A WEEK OR SO EARLIER WHEN HE LEANED OVER TO PICK UP A COMMERCIAL CHART MANUAL. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS THOUGH FOR A TIME I TRIED TO CONCEAL THE FACT. IT EVENTUALLY CAME OUT THAT I SCREWED UP AND I OWNED UP TO IT. THIS MAY RUIN MY CAREER ENTIRELY NOW AND I'VE SPENT 12 UNEVENTFUL YRS WORKING ON IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THIS CONTROL LOCK IS BEHIND THE CONTROL COLUMN BUT PLT ADMITTED ERROR IN NOT COMPLETELY REMOVING LOCK BEFORE TAXI. FIGURES WILL VIOLATE HIM AS ARE ALREADY INVESTIGATING AND THREATENING ACTION.

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.