The pilot killed in a 2009 Centre, Ala., plane crash lost control of the aircraft because of a rudder pedal control tube that wasn’t installed properly, the National Transportation Safety Board has reported.

On April 4, 2009, a small private plane crashed into a house in Centre. The pilot, Harley McGatha, died early the next morning from his injuries.

According to the NTSB report:

Witnesses reported that during takeoff the airplane climbed to approximately 20 to 50 feet, rolled to the left, and then descended and collided with powerlines and a house.

When NTSB investigators examined the plane, they found the right rudder pedal was missing the cable attachment bolt, nut and cotter pin. The plane’s manufacturer, American Champion, said that the model does not come with a push pull tube system from the factory.

No record of the install was located in the airframe logbooks.

An active community citizen, McGatha helped secure funding for Centre’s new airport. His construction firm built the South Rome Boys and Girls Club, and McGatha donated $100,000 of his own money to the project.