What happened
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft entered a stall and impacted the ground roughly 200 feet past the departure end of the runway. Witnesses at the scene provided accounts of the flight path: one observer near the airport operator's building reported that the aircraft pulled straight up, turned to the left, and descended rapidly. Another witness, a certified flight instructor, observed the aircraft in an extremely nose-high attitude just above the tree line before noticing a wing drop and the aircraft entering a spin.
The accident resulted in one passenger receiving serious injuries. The pilot, who was also a certified flight instructor with 617 total flight hours (including 42 hours in this specific aircraft), was involved in the event.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage was conducted to identify any mechanical failures. Investigators found no airframe or engine anomalies. However, the investigation revealed that the elevator was trimmed to the full nose-up position.