19980424028179A

(.19) On April 24, 1998, at 1515 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N8364L, pitched down and impacted terrain while on landing approach at the Ramona, California, airport. The commercial licensed flight instructor and the unlicensed student pilot were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight which was performing touch-and-go landings. Several pilots witnessed the accident and reported that the aircraft was on a stabilized approach to runway 27 at approximately 300 feet AGL, when the nose of the aircraft abruptly pitched down. In 2 or 3 seconds, the aircraft achieved a near-vertical, nose down attitude which continued to impact. (.4) witnesses reported that the aircraft was on a stabilized final approach approximately 300 feet AGL when it abruptly and without warning performed a wings level pitchover and dove vertically to the ground. All witnesses agreed that the aircraft did not stall and that it was not in a slip maneuver prior to the pitchover. A witness who was closest to the scene was emphatic that he observed the elevator control deflected nose down as the aircraft pitched over and that theelevator remained in that position until impact. The investigation did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical failure of the aircraft. (-23) during approach for landing, the aircraft abruptly pitched nose down from about 200 feet AGL and impacted about 500 feet short of the runway. The commercial licensed flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There were no conditions discovered to indicate that there was anything wrong with the aircraft. The aircraft impacted slightly past vertical and slightly right wing low.