Background
On the morning of the accident flight, a certificated airline transport pilot received a checkout from a fixed base operator. The right front seat was occupied by a noncertificated student pilot.
Departure from Cable Airport
After the checkout, when the pilot-in-command departed from Cable Airport, he nearly stalled the airplane. According to the student pilot, the near-stall occurred because the PIC used full flaps and rotated abruptly. The PIC was able to arrest the imminent stall before continuing.
Departure from Big Bear Airport
The flight then proceeded to Big Bear Airport, which has a field elevation of 6,750 ft. When the flight departed Big Bear, the PIC did not lean the mixture and again used full flaps for takeoff. The PIC rotated the airplane prematurely by abruptly pulling the control wheel all the way back.
Stall and Accident
The airplane gained some altitude, became unstable, and stalled. During the stall, the PIC failed to lower the nose and immediately retracted the flaps. The airplane then contacted the runway and nosed over.
Flap Usage
The pilot's usage of flaps was contrary to published instructions in the Cessna Owner's Manual.