What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The CFI performed an expedited takeoff roll on runway 05 manipulating the airplane controls from the right seat. After an approximate 600 foot takeoff roll the airplane rotated and immediately began a climbing left roll to an inverted attitude before impacting the ground approximately 200 feet left of the takeoff runway. It is estimated that the airplanes height above ground never exceeded 50 feet prior to impact. The airplane struck the ground nose first causing the propeller and engine to partially enter the cockpit. The CFI was fatally injured while the student pilot received serious injuries.
During the onsite investigation it was determined that the engine was producing power prior to impact based on substantial chord wise damage to the propeller. A subsequent onsite engine examination did not reveal any discrepancies with the engine that would indicate it was not running prior to impact.
All flight controls were found still attached to the airplane and control continuity was established to the cockpit.
Further examination of the airframe revealed:
Aft bending of the left seat adjustment pins and corresponding damage to the left seat adjustment rails.
The right seat inboard adjustment pin was found broken at the roll pin hole with little other damage. It was noted that the area surrounding the roll pin hole was corroded possibly causing the material to be weak in the fractured area of the pin. The two pieces of the pin were retained by the NTSB for future laboratory examination.
The right seat outboard adjustment pin was found with little or no damage. In addition, the right seat adjustment rails showed little or no damage, indicative of the seat adjustment pins not being engaged or completely engaged prior to impact.
The right seat adjustment spring was found disconnected from the seat leg assembly while remaining connected to the seat adjustment handle assembly. No damage to the spring was noted. The spring's purpose is to return the seat adjustment handle and adjustment pins to the down position after adjustment of the seat position. It could not be established if the spring was disconnected prior to impact, disconnected during the accident or disconnected during the rescue of the airplanes occupants.
As the FAA filed it
THE CFI PERFORMED AN EXPEDITED TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 05 MANIPULATING THE AIRPLANE CONTROLS FROM THE RIGHT SEAT. AFTER AN APPROXIMATE 600 FOOT TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE ROTATED AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A CLIMBING LEFT ROLL TO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET LEFT OF THE TAKEOFF RUNWAY. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANES HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND NEVER EXCEEDED 50 FEET PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND NOSE FIRST CAUSING THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE TO PARTIALLY ENTER THE COCKPIT. THE CFI WAS FATALLY INJURED WHILE THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.
DURING THE ONSITE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT BASED ON SUBSTANTIAL CHORD WISE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. A SUBSEQUENT ONSITE ENGINE EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY DISCREPANCIES WITH THE ENGINE THAT WOULD INDICATE IT WAS NOT RUNNING PRIOR TO IMPACT.
ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FOUND STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE AND CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE COCKPIT.
FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED:
AFT BENDING OF THE LEFT SEAT ADJUSTMENT PINS AND CORRESPONDING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SEAT ADJUSTMENT RAILS.
THE RIGHT SEAT INBOARD ADJUSTMENT PIN WAS FOUND BROKEN AT THE ROLL PIN HOLE WITH LITTLE OTHER DAMAGE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ROLL PIN HOLE WAS CORRODED POSSIBLY CAUSING THE MATERIAL TO BE WEAK IN THE FRACTURED AREA OF THE PIN. THE TWO PIECES OF THE PIN WERE RETAINED BY THE NTSB FOR FUTURE LABORATORY EXAMINATION.
THE RIGHT SEAT OUTBOARD ADJUSTMENT PIN WAS FOUND WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT SEAT ADJUSTMENT RAILS SHOWED LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE, INDICATIVE OF THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT PINS NOT BEING ENGAGED OR COMPLETELY ENGAGED PRIOR TO IMPACT.
THE RIGHT SEAT ADJUSTMENT SPRING WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED FROM THE SEAT LEG ASSEMBLY WHILE REMAINING CONNECTED TO THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE ASSEMBLY. NO DAMAGE TO THE SPRING WAS NOTED. THE SPRING'S PURPOSE IS TO RETURN THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE AND ADJUSTMENT PINS TO THE DOWN POSITION AFTER ADJUSTMENT OF THE SEAT POSITION. IT COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED IF THE SPRING WAS DISCONNECTED PRIOR TO IMPACT, DISCONNECTED DURING THE ACCIDENT OR DISCONNECTED DURING THE RESCUE OF THE AIRPLANES OCCUPANTS.
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 N6238D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.