Narrative:

My brother-in-law and myself just overflew dkb, northeast bound at 2500 ft MSL when we encountered a moderate chop which caused me to lose approximately 150 ft and at the same time the right wing dropped which took full left aileron to maintain level flight. I immediately checked flight controls, instruments, flaps, gauges and rudders. Everything was ok except rudders seemed stiff. I checked passenger briefly and observed his left leg was clear of rudders but in my haste to return to dkb and converse with ATC, I did not notice position of his right leg. I started a left turn 180 degrees to get me back to dkb and at the same time dialed in 7700 and tuned in 121.5. I then reported to rfd approach that I was having flight control problems and would be landing at dkb as soon as possible. I then set up for the approach to runway 27 at a 45 degree entry to final. Flight controls still required quite a bit of left aileron and on alignment with runway 27 I noticed that the nose was crabbing to the right and at the same time I noticed the passenger's right leg was extended holding right rudder. I had him relax his leg and control problems disappeared and normal landing was made. I reported to ATC and flight service at kankaku that no damage or injuries happened, and that everything was ok. This entire incident took place in less than 4 mins. In retrospect had I had more time to troubleshoot the problem and dkb airport was not so close I would have noticed that during the occurrence of the rough air my passenger, in panic, had stomped his foot down on what he thought was the floor board and inadvertently hit the right rudder causing the flight control problem. Had I taken just another min or so in troubleshooting before turning back to the airport and notifying ATC, I am sure I would have discovered the problem. Actions that I should have done are 1) a more complete preflight briefing to a new and inexperienced passenger on what to expect in a light aircraft and what controls to avoid. 2) a more thorough troubleshooting procedure prior to declaring an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA5 TIGER ON ROUTINE PLEASURE FLT WITH PAX ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB CAUSING PAX TO PANIC. PLT HAD DIFFICULTY CTLING ACFT AND DECLARED EMER TO LAND DKB ARPT. NOTICED PAX LEG ON RUDDER PEDAL AND ASKED HIM TO RELAX RESULTING IN NORMAL LNDG AND END OF CTL PROB.

Narrative: MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND MYSELF JUST OVERFLEW DKB, NE BOUND AT 2500 FT MSL WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED A MODERATE CHOP WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSE APPROX 150 FT AND AT THE SAME TIME THE R WING DROPPED WHICH TOOK FULL L AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED FLT CTLS, INSTS, FLAPS, GAUGES AND RUDDERS. EVERYTHING WAS OK EXCEPT RUDDERS SEEMED STIFF. I CHKED PAX BRIEFLY AND OBSERVED HIS L LEG WAS CLR OF RUDDERS BUT IN MY HASTE TO RETURN TO DKB AND CONVERSE WITH ATC, I DID NOT NOTICE POS OF HIS R LEG. I STARTED A L TURN 180 DEGS TO GET ME BACK TO DKB AND AT THE SAME TIME DIALED IN 7700 AND TUNED IN 121.5. I THEN RPTED TO RFD APCH THAT I WAS HAVING FLT CTL PROBS AND WOULD BE LNDG AT DKB ASAP. I THEN SET UP FOR THE APCH TO RWY 27 AT A 45 DEG ENTRY TO FINAL. FLT CTLS STILL REQUIRED QUITE A BIT OF L AILERON AND ON ALIGNMENT WITH RWY 27 I NOTICED THAT THE NOSE WAS CRABBING TO THE R AND AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED THE PAX'S R LEG WAS EXTENDED HOLDING R RUDDER. I HAD HIM RELAX HIS LEG AND CTL PROBS DISAPPEARED AND NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. I RPTED TO ATC AND FLT SVC AT KANKAKU THAT NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES HAPPENED, AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK. THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN LESS THAN 4 MINS. IN RETROSPECT HAD I HAD MORE TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AND DKB ARPT WAS NOT SO CLOSE I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT DURING THE OCCURRENCE OF THE ROUGH AIR MY PAX, IN PANIC, HAD STOMPED HIS FOOT DOWN ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE FLOOR BOARD AND INADVERTENTLY HIT THE R RUDDER CAUSING THE FLT CTL PROB. HAD I TAKEN JUST ANOTHER MIN OR SO IN TROUBLESHOOTING BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE ARPT AND NOTIFYING ATC, I AM SURE I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE PROB. ACTIONS THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE ARE 1) A MORE COMPLETE PREFLT BRIEFING TO A NEW AND INEXPERIENCED PAX ON WHAT TO EXPECT IN A LIGHT ACFT AND WHAT CTLS TO AVOID. 2) A MORE THOROUGH TROUBLESHOOTING PROC PRIOR TO DECLARING AN EMER.

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.