What happened
The crew was engaged in a simulated short field takeoff when a distraction occurred during the takeoff roll. The second pilot noticed that his seat belt was not fastened; he secured the belt and proceeded with the takeoff.
A tower controller observing the event reported that the nose of the airplane appeared to be excessively high. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of approximately 200 feet, at which point the left wing dipped and the plane impacted the terrain. There were no fatalities or injuries reported among the crew.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed that the elevator trim jack screw was positioned in the full nose-up position. However, the investigation found no evidence of any mechanical malfunction occurring prior to the impact.