What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 23, 2016, an operations inspector and an airworthiness inspector traveled to Lawrence county airport (2M2) in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, to investigate an aircraft accident involving N925PS. This accident occurred on may 22, 2016 at approximately 1330 local time. The accident site was located in a field approximately 300 yards northwest of the threshold to runway 35 on private property adjacent to the airport. The aircraft occupants sustained back injuries and lacerations, and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. No fire resulted from the accident.
The inspectors investigated the aircraft wreckage and took photographs. The following items were noted:
1. The tachometer indicated that the engine had only been run for 4.1 hours.
2. The aircraft registration certificate, airworthiness certificate, and operating limitations were not found on board the aircraft.
3. The seatbelt for the right pilot station had broken loose from its outboard attach point.
4. The rudder cables had been rigged incorrectly so that the rudder was deflected opposite of what was intended when the rudder pedals were pressed.
5. Continuity was found between all flight control cable and pushrod attach points.
The passenger was interviewed in person on may 23, 2016: he described the flight as only lasting five or six seconds. The intent was to fly a few feet above the ground down the length of the runway and then possibly around the airport traffic pattern. He stated that the left wing dipped dramatically and the aircraft began to drift to the left as soon as the aircraft came off the runway. The pilot applied full right rudder and right aileron in an attempt to correct the aircraft?s fight path and attitude. As he applied full right rudder, the aircraft behaved as if he had just applied full left rudder. The aircraft continued to climb, but not high enough to miss the trees located in the field adjacent to the runway. The aircraft struck the trees and fell to the ground approximately 100 yards to their south.
The pilot was interviewed via telephone on may 24, 2016: he stated that he had asked the passenger to ride along with him in his aircraft the morning of the accident. Their plan was to lift a few feet off the runway to see how the aircraft handled. Unfortunately, after they lifted off, the aircraft immediately started turning to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right aileron, but could not get the aircraft?s attitude corrected. He applied full throttle. He saw that they were going to hit the top of some trees. The next thing he knew was that his back was against the roof of the airplane, he was on top of the passenger, and that he was looking at his feet. The pilot stated that he was able to crawl out of the airplane on top of the left wing.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 23, 2016, AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR AND AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR TRAVELED TO LAWRENCE COUNTY AIRPORT (2M2) IN LAWRENCEBURG, TENNESSEE, TO INVESTIGATE AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVOLVING N925PS. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON MAY 22, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 LOCAL TIME. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS NORTHWEST OF THE THRESHOLD TO RUNWAY 35 ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES AND LACERATIONS, AND WERE TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. NO FIRE RESULTED FROM THE ACCIDENT.
THE INSPECTORS INVESTIGATED THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE NOTED:
1. THE TACHOMETER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD ONLY BEEN RUN FOR 4.1 HOURS.
2. THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE, AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, AND OPERATING LIMITATIONS WERE NOT FOUND ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.
3. THE SEATBELT FOR THE RIGHT PILOT STATION HAD BROKEN LOOSE FROM ITS OUTBOARD ATTACH POINT.
4. THE RUDDER CABLES HAD BEEN RIGGED INCORRECTLY SO THAT THE RUDDER WAS DEFLECTED OPPOSITE OF WHAT WAS INTENDED WHEN THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE PRESSED.
5. CONTINUITY WAS FOUND BETWEEN ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLE AND PUSHROD ATTACH POINTS.
THE PASSENGER WAS INTERVIEWED IN PERSON ON MAY 23, 2016: HE DESCRIBED THE FLIGHT AS ONLY LASTING FIVE OR SIX SECONDS. THE INTENT WAS TO FLY A FEW FEET ABOVE THE GROUND DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY AND THEN POSSIBLY AROUND THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE STATED THAT THE LEFT WING DIPPED DRAMATICALLY AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AS SOON AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND RIGHT AILERON IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE AIRCRAFT?S FIGHT PATH AND ATTITUDE. AS HE APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER, THE AIRCRAFT BEHAVED AS IF HE HAD JUST APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO CLIMB, BUT NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO MISS THE TREES LOCATED IN THE FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREES AND FELL TO THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS TO THEIR SOUTH.
THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED VIA TELEPHONE ON MAY 24, 2016: HE STATED THAT HE HAD ASKED THE PASSENGER TO RIDE ALONG WITH HIM IN HIS AIRCRAFT THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. THEIR PLAN WAS TO LIFT A FEW FEET OFF THE RUNWAY TO SEE HOW THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED. UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER THEY LIFTED OFF, THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TURNING TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND RIGHT AILERON, BUT COULD NOT GET THE AIRCRAFT?S ATTITUDE CORRECTED. HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE. HE SAW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HIT THE TOP OF SOME TREES. THE NEXT THING HE KNEW WAS THAT HIS BACK WAS AGAINST THE ROOF OF THE AIRPLANE, HE WAS ON TOP OF THE PASSENGER, AND THAT HE WAS LOOKING AT HIS FEET. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO CRAWL OUT OF THE AIRPLANE ON TOP OF THE LEFT WING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.