Pilot lost directional control of his small aircraft sel during takeoff due to his seat sliding back...

Attributes
ACN	335673
Time
Date	199605
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mli
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 150
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mli tower : fll
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2750 flight time type : 907
ASRS Report	335673
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Prior to taking runway 31 at mli for takeoff, adjusted pilot seat closer to instrument panel 1 stop. Tried to scoot seat both ways as a check that the locking pin was seated and seat was apparently locked in place as there was no significant motion. However, upon advancing the throttle for takeoff, the seat slid back too far for the pilot to reach the rudder pedals. The throttle was partly withdrawn (or maybe fully) in an attempt to abort the takeoff, but the airplane was heading too fast off the left side of the runway at a runway light and no braking was within reach. The airplane was lifted off in ground effect to avoid the runway light, successfully, and possibly some throttle was added, but probably not much, because of the lack of rudder control. Next the airplane which was in a positive rate of climb by this time, had to be banked to the right to avoid a pole with a windsock on it. Once the maneuver was completed, with no other obstacles in sight, the pilot was able to return his seat to the proper position and regain full control and continue the climb. He reported what had happened to the tower and told them he wanted to continue the flight to mgy. However, when they asked him to call the tower when he reached his destination, he offered to return immediately. He also assured them that he had felt no jar as if the airplane had contacted anything and that it was running fine. At mgy, he called the mli tower at the number they had given him. He again assured them that there was no damage to his airplane. Upon his inquiry, they said they had found no damage at mli. Upon their request, he gave them his name, address, and telephone number. A cessna secondary seat stop kit is installed in the airplane, which should have prevented the seat from coming so far back in event of lack of locking in place. The pilot plans to take the airplane to the certified repair station when he has the annuals done on the airplane, to have the seat rails and locking mechanism checked and also the action of the secondary seat stop. On the ground, the stop appeared to work ok when tested by the pilot at mgy. In the air at mli, the normal locking mechanism appeared to function properly, as it did later at mgy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF HIS SMA SEL DURING TKOF DUE TO HIS SEAT SLIDING BACK AND REMOVING HIM FROM THE ACFT RUDDERS AND BRAKES. HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO CTL ACFT SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID HITTING A RWY LIGHT AND A WIND SOCK POLE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO TAKING RWY 31 AT MLI FOR TKOF, ADJUSTED PLT SEAT CLOSER TO INST PANEL 1 STOP. TRIED TO SCOOT SEAT BOTH WAYS AS A CHK THAT THE LOCKING PIN WAS SEATED AND SEAT WAS APPARENTLY LOCKED IN PLACE AS THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT MOTION. HOWEVER, UPON ADVANCING THE THROTTLE FOR TKOF, THE SEAT SLID BACK TOO FAR FOR THE PLT TO REACH THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE THROTTLE WAS PARTLY WITHDRAWN (OR MAYBE FULLY) IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE TKOF, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADING TOO FAST OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AT A RWY LIGHT AND NO BRAKING WAS WITHIN REACH. THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED OFF IN GND EFFECT TO AVOID THE RWY LIGHT, SUCCESSFULLY, AND POSSIBLY SOME THROTTLE WAS ADDED, BUT PROBABLY NOT MUCH, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RUDDER CTL. NEXT THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS IN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB BY THIS TIME, HAD TO BE BANKED TO THE R TO AVOID A POLE WITH A WINDSOCK ON IT. ONCE THE MANEUVER WAS COMPLETED, WITH NO OTHER OBSTACLES IN SIGHT, THE PLT WAS ABLE TO RETURN HIS SEAT TO THE PROPER POS AND REGAIN FULL CTL AND CONTINUE THE CLB. HE RPTED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE TWR AND TOLD THEM HE WANTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO MGY. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ASKED HIM TO CALL THE TWR WHEN HE REACHED HIS DEST, HE OFFERED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY. HE ALSO ASSURED THEM THAT HE HAD FELT NO JAR AS IF THE AIRPLANE HAD CONTACTED ANYTHING AND THAT IT WAS RUNNING FINE. AT MGY, HE CALLED THE MLI TWR AT THE NUMBER THEY HAD GIVEN HIM. HE AGAIN ASSURED THEM THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO HIS AIRPLANE. UPON HIS INQUIRY, THEY SAID THEY HAD FOUND NO DAMAGE AT MLI. UPON THEIR REQUEST, HE GAVE THEM HIS NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. A CESSNA SECONDARY SEAT STOP KIT IS INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE, WHICH SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE SEAT FROM COMING SO FAR BACK IN EVENT OF LACK OF LOCKING IN PLACE. THE PLT PLANS TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE TO THE CERTIFIED REPAIR STATION WHEN HE HAS THE ANNUALS DONE ON THE AIRPLANE, TO HAVE THE SEAT RAILS AND LOCKING MECHANISM CHKED AND ALSO THE ACTION OF THE SECONDARY SEAT STOP. ON THE GND, THE STOP APPEARED TO WORK OK WHEN TESTED BY THE PLT AT MGY. IN THE AIR AT MLI, THE NORMAL LOCKING MECHANISM APPEARED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, AS IT DID LATER AT MGY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Pilot lost directional control of his small aircraft sel during takeoff due to his seat sliding back and removing him from the aircraft rudders and brakes. However, he was able to control aircraft sufficiently to avoid hitting a runway light and a wind sock pole.