What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
CFI allowed another CFI with low tail dragger time to takeoff. Lost control CFI PIC unable recover. Ran off runway. (-23) martha lunken was in the rear seat of the tandem configured Aeronca champ and w. deems clifton occupied the front seat. Mr. Clifton initiated the takeoff on runway 4 and both pilots discussed the fact that there was a left cross wind. Ms. Lunken said to "raise the tail" and the airplane veered sharply left. Ms. Lunken said (yelled) "I've got it." She was unable to ragain the runway. The airplane had left the hard surface and was moving between the VASI and approach lights. She saw a ditch approaching and tried to clear it, thinking they may have gained flying speed. The champ cleared the ditch (inground effect) but flying speed had not been gained and the airplane touched the ground and crossed a parallel taxiway. Ms. Lunken had closed the throttle and kept the wings level as the airplane impacted in a heavy brush area. There were no injuries or fire. Although both pilots are current and qualified in this airplane, and this was not an instrumental flight, it was assumed by both pilots that marth lunken, being more experienced, w as the pilot-in-command.
As the FAA filed it
CFI ALLOWED ANOTHER CFI WITH LOW TAIL DRAGGER TIME TO TAKEOFF. LOST CONTROL CFI PIC UNABLE RECOVER. RAN OFF RUNWAY. (-23) MARTHA LUNKEN WAS IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE TANDEM CONFIGURED AERONCA CHAMP AND W. DEEMS CLIFTON OCCUPIED THE FRONT SEAT. MR. CLIFTON INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 4 AND BOTH PILOTS DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A LEFT CROSS WIND. MS. LUNKEN SAID TO "RAISE THE TAIL" AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED SHARPLY LEFT. MS. LUNKEN SAID (YELLED) "I'VE GOT IT." SHE WAS UNABLE TO RAGAIN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE HAD LEFT THE HARD SURFACE AND WAS MOVING BETWEEN THE VASI AND APPROACH LIGHTS. SHE SAW A DITCH APPROACHING AND TRIED TO CLEAR IT, THINKING THEY MAY HAVE GAINED FLYING SPEED. THE CHAMP CLEARED THE DITCH (INGROUND EFFECT) BUT FLYING SPEED HAD NOT BEEN GAINED AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED THE GROUND AND CROSSED A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. MS. LUNKEN HAD CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL AS THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A HEAVY BRUSH AREA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FIRE. ALTHOUGH BOTH PILOTS ARE CURRENT AND QUALIFIED IN THIS AIRPLANE, AND THIS WAS NOT AN INSTRUMENTAL FLIGHT, IT WAS ASSUMED BY BOTH PILOTS THAT MARTH LUNKEN, BEING MORE EXPERIENCED, W AS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.