The following NTSB Accident Report clearly illustrates the critical importance of PIC determination that all cabin materials and equipment are properly and securely stowed prior to aircraft movement and operation......
National Transportation Safety Board - Aircraft Accident/Incident Database
Narrative
On August 31, 2001, at approximately 1310 mountain daylight time, a Vans RV-6A homebuilt airplane, N199LH, was substantially damaged when it departed the runway during takeoff and impacted a ditch at Stevens Field (2V1;elevation 7,700 feet), Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant on the airplane, was not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight that was originating at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
The pilot said that he was practicing a short field takeoff. He held the brakes and set the power at 2,650 revolutions per minute. When he released the brakes, the airplane immediately veered to the left and departed the runway. The pilot said he attempted to apply full right rudder, but no right rudder was available. He said that he attempted to control the airplane with differential braking. The airport manager said that the airplane traveled
approximately 350 feet, started down a hill, and struck an Elk fence (the fence was approximately 250 feet east of the runway). The pilot said that the nose wheel dropped into a ditch which was along the left side of the runway. The airplane's nose gear broke aft and the airplane came to rest in a nose down orientation. The nose wheel landing gear separated from the airplane, and the engine mount was bent.
Postaccident examination of the airplane by the pilot, revealed that a headset on the floor of the airplane had jammed the rudder controls.
The density altitude was calculated to be 10,347 feet.
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Safety Comments By Pat Duncan....
I don't how many times I have observed pilots place a Jeppesen chart binder or other similar materials on the floor prior to departure...so as to be "handy" when needed. Such items could easily result in the same problem encountered above.
Another problem that has occurred during hard/high impact landings.... are serious head/upper extremity injuries caused by flying projectiles such as flight bags, food coolers, tow bars and similar items that were not securely stowed. So please take time prior to "Master On" and assure that all carry-on's, tow bars, flight cases, food coolers, unused headsets, etc... are all safely and securely strapped down or otherwise stowed/restrained so as to avoid personal injury and/or a disaster like the one referenced above.
One more cockpit item and I'll close the "safety sermon.... With many of our G/A fleets "aging" fast we are seeing more and more seat track wear - seat lock problems which in several instancies have resulted in an unexpected rearward slide of the seat during T/O roll, rotation or climb. Needless to say such an incident can not only result in an unscheduled change of ones "Fruit of The Looms".... but can (and has) killed pilots/passengers as well. So as a good prudent professional pilot.... always double check to assure that the seat lock is fully engaged before movement of the A/C. And if you fly an A/C that is getting a little long on the tooth age wise.... it's a good idea to make a real close periodic visual and operational check of the seat track and locking mechanism to be sure the latch/locking function is providing full and positive locking of the seat in all normal positions used for flight. Any seat structure, track or locking mechanism that is excessively worn beyond manufacturers limits, missing parts, fails to properly and fully lock or otherwise fails to provide it's FULL and COMPLETE originally certificated function...is considered unairworthy and requires appropriate repair action.
Thanks For Listening...Stay Safe (And Airworthy Too!!!)
Pat Duncan
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