Accident Analysis

[JW Scud]

Dear Colonel,

I have a link to an aerobatic crash that happened a decade ago. It has a link to the accident report and discusses rudder pedal extensions. I am interested in your general analysis/thoughts when you finish reading the report(if you have time)

Thanks

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/67991

[Colonel]

Is that a decade ago already?!

Vicki Cruz was the President of the IAC and
borrowed an airplane.  She was short and used
rudder extensions, one of which jammed.

And that was it.  I don’t remember any controversy
about the cause of the accident at the time.

You modify an airplane at your own risk.  Flight
control failures are nasty.  Another annoying one
is losing your prop, which happens more than you
might suppose.

Remember that the paper world and the real world
are very loosely coupled at best.  Experimentals
are the Wild West.  Aerobatic doubly so.  There
is no paper to protect you, so your mathematics
and physics and engineering and mechanical
skills have to be up to the task.

[JW Scud]

Is it common to see rudder pedal extensions in aerobatic aircraft(or normal aircraft). Are they usually homemade. I have never seen any before.

[Colonel]

They are not common.  IIRC Bill Finegan used to make them.