What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The cfi-pic stated that the CFI trainee was performing a soft field takeoff with a 6 knot tailwind, and after rotation while attempting to accelerate, the airplane began veering to the left. He applied full right rudder input but the left turn continued. Teh cfi-pic then reduced power, the rihgt wing dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest upright 180 degrees from the departure runway heading. Examination of the aileron and elevator flight control cables revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Impact damage to the airplane precluded determination of rigging of the aileron flight controls. According to another student of the flight school, while performing power on and power off stalls, full right rudder would not hold directional control and the left wing would stall first. Review of the airplane squawk sheets for the airplane revealed no discrepancies noted for the aileron flight controls. The engine was removed from the airplane, the impact damaged propeller was replaced, and the engine was stated and found to operate normally. (-23) on 24 April 1998, at 07:20 EST, Mr. William a. higgins iii, holder of commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates no. 195563858, was giving dual flight instruction to Mr. Richard c. morgan jr., holder of commercial pilot certificate no. 534962761, in a comair aviation academy Cessna 172RG, N9303D. Mr. Morgan was demonstrating a soft field takeoff allowing theaircraft to climb out of ground effect with insufficient air speed. The aircraft drifted to the left in a nose high attitude. Stalled and settled to the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage with minor injury to the pilots.
As the FAA filed it
THE CFI-PIC STATED THAT THE CFI TRAINEE WAS PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF WITH A 6 KNOT TAILWIND, AND AFTER ROTATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN VEERING TO THE LEFT. HE APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER INPUT BUT THE LEFT TURN CONTINUED. TEH CFI-PIC THEN REDUCED POWER, THE RIHGT WING DROPPED, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT 180 DEGREES FROM THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY HEADING. EXAMINATION OF THE AILERON AND ELEVATOR FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE PRECLUDED DETERMINATION OF RIGGING OF THE AILERON FLIGHT CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER STUDENT OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL, WHILE PERFORMING POWER ON AND POWER OFF STALLS, FULL RIGHT RUDDER WOULD NOT HOLD DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE LEFT WING WOULD STALL FIRST. REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE SQUAWK SHEETS FOR THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED FOR THE AILERON FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE, THE IMPACT DAMAGED PROPELLER WAS REPLACED, AND THE ENGINE WAS STATED AND FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. (-23) ON 24 APRIL 1998, AT 07:20 EST, MR. WILLIAM A. HIGGINS III, HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATES NO. 195563858, WAS GIVING DUAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO MR. RICHARD C. MORGAN JR., HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. 534962761, IN A COMAIR AVIATION ACADEMY CESSNA 172RG, N9303D. MR. MORGAN WAS DEMONSTRATING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF ALLOWING THEAIRCRAFT TO CLIMB OUT OF GROUND EFFECT WITH INSUFFICIENT AIR SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. STALLED AND SETTLED TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH MINOR INJURY TO THE PILOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9303D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.