Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to remove the control lock prior to flight.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot attempted a takeoff with the control lock still engaged in the control column. Photographs taken by the local sheriff shortly after the accident depicted the control lock still installed.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 11, 1994, at 1000 hours mountain daylight time, the pilot of a Cessna 180H, N4764U, lost control and collided with terrain during takeoff from runway 05, at the Wickenburg Municipal Airport, Wickenburg, Arizona. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner. The airplane was substantially damaged. The certificated commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with the winds from 240 degrees at 8 knots. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP), reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that the airplane's control lock was found engaged in the control column after the accident. Additionally, photographs provided by the local sheriff's office indicated that the control lock was attached to the control column. -