What happened
During the final phase of the landing sequence, an unusual incident occurred involving a passenger seated in the cockpit area. The passenger had positioned her legs in a way that physically obstructed the movement of the control yoke. Recognizing the interference, the pilot verbally requested that she clear the controls immediately.
In response to the request, the passenger placed her left foot onto the rudder pedal and brake assembly. This unintended input caused the aircraft to veer sharply toward the left side of the runway. The aircraft departed the paved surface, traveled across approximately 100 feet of sod, and ultimately struck a windsock pole.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the runway excursion. Examination of the incident revealed that the primary factor was the physical obstruction of the flight controls by a passenger. The subsequent impact with the windsock pole resulted from the uncommanded rudder input caused by the passenger's foot placement.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by a passenger interfering with the operation of the aircraft. Specifically, the passenger's legs blocked the control yoke, and her subsequent action of stepping on the rudder pedal led to the loss of directional control during the critical landing phase.