What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 24, 2026, a flight instructor and private pilot departed avery county airport in aircraft N4552A. Following standard pre-flight preparations, the crew flew to Foothills Regional Airport and executed a successful landing on runway 21.
After landing, the crew taxied to the hold short line to brief a high-speed centerline tracking maneuver designed to practice runway alignment and rudder management. The exercise required full-power acceleration until the tail lifted, followed by a throttle reduction to maintain the centerline at 45 to 55 mph. During the maneuver, both pilots held the yoke full forward. As the tail rose, the student applied right rudder but did not relax the input. The instructor commanded corrections and applied maximum force to the left rudder pedal but was unable to overcome the student's locked right leg. Consequently, the aircraft veered off the runway, struck a soil ramp at 40 to 45 mph, became airborne, and crashed into a drainage ditch. Both pilots evacuated safely with no reported injuries.
Following the accident, the pilots provided conflicting perspectives on the loss of directional control. The instructor stated that the student reverted to a "driving mode" instinct, mechanically locking his leg on the right pedal akin to an automotive panic stop. Contrary to the previously briefed manuever, the student asserted that the instructor's requirement to hold the yoke full forward during the maneuver conflicted with his prior training to keep the stick back.
Minor injury reported for the flight instructor.
Second pilot regulatory check ride date unknown.
Associated task number in sas is T-EA68-FY26-1804.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 24, 2026, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED AVERY COUNTY AIRPORT IN AIRCRAFT N4552A. FOLLOWING STANDARD PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATIONS, THE CREW FLEW TO FOOTHILLS REGIONAL AIRPORT AND EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 21.
AFTER LANDING, THE CREW TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO BRIEF A HIGH-SPEED CENTERLINE TRACKING MANEUVER DESIGNED TO PRACTICE RUNWAY ALIGNMENT AND RUDDER MANAGEMENT. THE EXERCISE REQUIRED FULL-POWER ACCELERATION UNTIL THE TAIL LIFTED, FOLLOWED BY A THROTTLE REDUCTION TO MAINTAIN THE CENTERLINE AT 45 TO 55 MPH. DURING THE MANEUVER, BOTH PILOTS HELD THE YOKE FULL FORWARD. AS THE TAIL ROSE, THE STUDENT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER BUT DID NOT RELAX THE INPUT. THE INSTRUCTOR COMMANDED CORRECTIONS AND APPLIED MAXIMUM FORCE TO THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE STUDENT'S LOCKED RIGHT LEG. CONSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A SOIL RAMP AT 40 TO 45 MPH, BECAME AIRBORNE, AND CRASHED INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH. BOTH PILOTS EVACUATED SAFELY WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES.
FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOTS PROVIDED CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES ON THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE STUDENT REVERTED TO A "DRIVING MODE" INSTINCT, MECHANICALLY LOCKING HIS LEG ON THE RIGHT PEDAL AKIN TO AN AUTOMOTIVE PANIC STOP. CONTRARY TO THE PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED MANUEVER, THE STUDENT ASSERTED THAT THE INSTRUCTOR'S REQUIREMENT TO HOLD THE YOKE FULL FORWARD DURING THE MANEUVER CONFLICTED WITH HIS PRIOR TRAINING TO KEEP THE STICK BACK.
MINOR INJURY REPORTED FOR THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
SECOND PILOT REGULATORY CHECK RIDE DATE UNKNOWN.
ASSOCIATED TASK NUMBER IN SAS IS T-EA68-FY26-1804.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.