SYNOPSIS
The tail wheeled aircraft took off from a private airfield in Navan for a ferry flight to a neighbouring airfield at Athboy, a few miles distant. On climb out, the pilot attempted to correct a tendency to swing left with application of right rudder. However, even full right rudder input failed to fully correct this tendency. On landing at Athboy a crosswind weathercocked the aircraft to the left and with insufficient right rudder available to the pilot, the aircraft impacted a ditch and came to rest. Subsequent investigation showed considerable play between the right pedal bolt and its attachment to the torque tube.
