Event ERA20CA232

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and observed no discrepancies. While taxiing for takeoff he performed a check of the flight controls, adding there were no discrepancies and the gust lock was free. He initiated takeoff, and when the flight was 20 ft above the runway, he noted the airplane was right wing low. He applied left aileron control input but noted the control did not move. He then also applied right aileron control input, but it wouldn’t move to the right either. He aborted the takeoff and thought about dumping the load of chemical but did not. The airplane touched down on the grass portion of his runway and bounced three times. On the third bounce he reported both main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid into the nearby field and came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the bottom of the fuselage. Examination of the flight control system was unable to identify any obstructions or other issues. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-Aileron control system-Unknown/Not determined