Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Glider; Flight Crew Multiengine; Maintenance Inspection Authority; Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 4000; Flight Crew Type 3
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Aircraft; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Procedure; Manuals
While in cruise initiated right hand banking turn when a bang was felt in control stick. Complete aileron control was lost. Aircraft started a slight left hand roll tendency (approx. 1-degree per second). Attempts to regain control of roll were unsuccessful using aileron. I was able to regain some control and check the roll by using rudder inputs. I then was able to (marginally) able to line up on a private airstrip (3/4 mile away) using only rudder; elevator; and power to land the aircraft without damage to aircraft or property. Upon inspection of aircraft the next day an improper aileron cable Nicropress sleeve had let loose causing the loss of control. Inspecting the other cable shows the same type of condition to exist.
Reporter stated he was asked to do a 'Shake-down' flight on the Storm Rally LSA by a new Owner. The aircraft had only 17-hours; but had been sitting outside for a long time. Aircraft has a 3-bladed prop with a Rotax 912 Engine. Initially; after he felt the bang in the control stick and sudden lost of aileron control; he wasn't sure he could control the aircraft. But the winds were in his favor. After he found that the right aileron control cable had slipped out from the swaged Nicopress sleeve; leaving only the 'Thimble' section connected to the crank arm bolt that holds the left and right aileron cables below the floorboards; he then decided to check all the control cables and swages and noticed two distinct differences in the wall thickness of the swaged sleeves. Reporter stated the Nicopress sleeve wall thickness for the stainless steel 1/8th (one-eighth) diameter aileron cable should have been .085' of an inch and 18-3-3 material; instead he found the failed sleeve was .069' wall thickness and of unknown material. A 'Go-No-GO' swage gauge will not indicate proper thickness of the swage sleeve and a thin wall sleeve will pass a 'Go-No-GO' gauge with less swaging on the sleeve. The aircraft is constructed in a foreign country and assembled in the U.S. under an FAA approved Manufacturing certificate. An FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) then comes in and issues an Airworthiness Certificate after assembly. Reporter stated the aircraft's control cables and turnbarrels are swaged on one end from the foreign Manufacturer and the other end is swaged after the aircraft and cables are assembled by the U.S. manufacturer. He was unable to determine which company was responsible for the improper sleeves that were swaged. The rudder cables were found to be galvanized steel; instead of stainless steel; with the thin wall sleeves swaged at the external section where the cable exits the fuselage and attaches to the rudder horn fitting. Looking back at the incident; he feels very fortunate he did not have the rudder or elevator control cables also slip out from the improper cable sleeves at the same time. He would have lost total control of the aircraft. He is replacing all the control cables and swages on the aircraft. He wants the FAA to issue an Emergency A.D. to have all the Storm Rally LSA aircraft inspected for improper sleeves swaged on the control cables.
A pilot reports a bang was felt in the control stick of a Storm Rally Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) during a right banking turn. Complete aileron control was lost. Aileron cable had slipped out from a Nicopress swaged sleeve under floorboard. Pilot landed using only rudder; elevator and engine power without damage to aircraft or property.