N3652U

On April 1, 1997, at 1212 hours Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 182F, N3652U, operated by the Skydive Academy of Hawaii Corporation, experienced an in-flight loss of control during takeoff from runway 26 at the Dillingham Airfield, Mokuleia, Hawaii. Witnesses reported observing the airplane lift off and immediately thereafter commence climbing at a steep angle. Within several hundred feet above ground level, one wing suddenly lowered and the airplane rapidly lost altitude. The airplane collided with trees, impacted the Mokuleia Beach Park surf, and was destroyed upon sinking in 15-feet-deep water near the shoreline. The commercial pilot and four passengers, which were being transported for a planned parachute jump, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

In brief, the pilot reported in his completed Aircraft Accident Report that before takeoff he had checked the flight controls, and no evidence of any mechanical problems was noted. During the takeoff roll the airplane accelerated between 60 and 65 mph. The airplane became airborne and pitched 60 degrees nose up. Forward pressure was applied on the control yoke, but there was no response. The airplane banked right and stalled, and the nose lowered. Thereafter, the airplane collided with trees which shattered the windshield, and an oil leak developed. The pilot further reported that he notified the Unicom operator he was "coming back around." However, the control yoke was still "frozen in position" and could not be moved forward or aft. The airplane's pitch could not be controlled, and the airplane descended into the water.

Interviews were conducted with the passengers and ground-based witnesses. No information was found to indicate that the pilot had planned to make a short field takeoff or had intentionally climbed at a steep angle.

The Federal Aviation Administration's Safety Data Analysis Section in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, searched its data base of Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs) for elevator control binding events involving Cessna 182 series airplanes. None was found during the search period between 1990 and April, 1997.

The airplane's main wreckage was not recovered. The pilot's report of a jammed yoke was not verified with physical evidence.