On September 2, 1990, a Beech BE19 (registration N23848) operated by Bledsoe, David C. was involved in an aviation accident near Dallas, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot retracted the flaps without instruction or warning, causing the instructor pilot to lose control and impact the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a training flight at 20 feet, a student pilot retracted flaps without warning during a minimum airspeed demonstration, causing the instructor to lose control and impact the ground, resulting in substantial damage.
Incident Overview
An instructional flight experienced a loss of control and subsequent ground impact when a student pilot retracted the flaps without authorization. The event occurred during a training exercise focused on minimum airspeed flight.
Sequence of Events
According to the investigation, the instructor pilot was demonstrating minimum airspeed flight at an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway. During the recovery phase of the maneuver, the student pilot retracted the flaps without receiving instruction from the instructor or providing advance warning. The student's actions resulted in the instructor pilot losing control of the aircraft, which then impacted the ground.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact.
Contributing Factors
The investigation determined that the student pilot's unauthorized flap retraction directly led to the loss of control. No other contributing factors were identified in the source.
Probable cause
The student pilot retracted the flaps without instruction or warning, causing the instructor pilot to lose control and impact the ground.