What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Cirrus serial number 2881, N678EC, was occupied by an airline transport pilot and two passengers on a 14 CFR part 91 flight from jeffersonville-clark regional airport, in (kjvy) to chicago executive airport (kpwk). The aircraft was traveling at 8,000 feet in visual meteorological conditions on an instrument flight plan. The pilot requested that the rear seat passenger retrieve an item from under the front left pilot seat. The rear seat passenger unbuckled their safety restraint to locate the item. The pilot loosened their safety restraint as well to locate the item behind them. At this time the adult front right seat passenger attempted to move their seat forward to afford more room for the search. The front right seat passenger grabbed the side stick control and attempted to use it as a handle to pull the seat forward. This action caused an abrupt nose up movement which surprised all occupants of the aircraft. As a result of this surprise, the front right seat passenger pushed the side stick control full forward to stop the nose up movement. This action caused an abrupt nose down movement causing a negative g force which forced the unrestrained passenger, and loosely restrained pilot into the upper portion of the cabin. In an attempt to correct the nose down movement, the restrained front right seat passenger pulled again on the side stick enacting a positive g force which made the pilot and rear passenger drop in the cabin. In total there was reported to be three up and down command cycles before the aircraft was level and back in the control of the pilot in command.
The pilot informed air traffic control of the occurrence. The pilot. Not knowing the seriousness of the injuries continued to chicago executive airport, where emergency medical services met the aircraft. The pilot suffered lacerations to the head. The rear seat passenger experienced a fractured neck and sternum. The front left seat passenger was uninjured.
The aircraft was inspected after the occurrence by representatives of the manufacturer and a third party maintenance provider. No damaged was found. The aircraft was returned to service.
As the FAA filed it
CIRRUS SERIAL NUMBER 2881, N678EC, WAS OCCUPIED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ON A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FROM JEFFERSONVILLE-CLARK REGIONAL AIRPORT, IN (KJVY) TO CHICAGO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KPWK). THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING AT 8,000 FEET IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER RETRIEVE AN ITEM FROM UNDER THE FRONT LEFT PILOT SEAT. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER UNBUCKLED THEIR SAFETY RESTRAINT TO LOCATE THE ITEM. THE PILOT LOOSENED THEIR SAFETY RESTRAINT AS WELL TO LOCATE THE ITEM BEHIND THEM. AT THIS TIME THE ADULT FRONT RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THEIR SEAT FORWARD TO AFFORD MORE ROOM FOR THE SEARCH. THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER GRABBED THE SIDE STICK CONTROL AND ATTEMPTED TO USE IT AS A HANDLE TO PULL THE SEAT FORWARD. THIS ACTION CAUSED AN ABRUPT NOSE UP MOVEMENT WHICH SURPRISED ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS A RESULT OF THIS SURPRISE, THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER PUSHED THE SIDE STICK CONTROL FULL FORWARD TO STOP THE NOSE UP MOVEMENT. THIS ACTION CAUSED AN ABRUPT NOSE DOWN MOVEMENT CAUSING A NEGATIVE G FORCE WHICH FORCED THE UNRESTRAINED PASSENGER, AND LOOSELY RESTRAINED PILOT INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CABIN. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE NOSE DOWN MOVEMENT, THE RESTRAINED FRONT RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER PULLED AGAIN ON THE SIDE STICK ENACTING A POSITIVE G FORCE WHICH MADE THE PILOT AND REAR PASSENGER DROP IN THE CABIN. IN TOTAL THERE WAS REPORTED TO BE THREE UP AND DOWN COMMAND CYCLES BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEVEL AND BACK IN THE CONTROL OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
THE PILOT INFORMED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PILOT. NOT KNOWING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE INJURIES CONTINUED TO CHICAGO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, WHERE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MET THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SUFFERED LACERATIONS TO THE HEAD. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER EXPERIENCED A FRACTURED NECK AND STERNUM. THE FRONT LEFT SEAT PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AFTER THE OCCURRENCE BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MANUFACTURER AND A THIRD PARTY MAINTENANCE PROVIDER. NO DAMAGED WAS FOUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.