What happened
The flight involved a pilot in the front seat and a pilot-rated passenger in the rear seat. The passenger had previously completed two touch-and-go landings. Following the second successful maneuver, the pilot in the front seat took control of the aircraft to perform another touch-and-go.
During this third attempt, the pilot initiated a steep left turn. At an altitude of approximately 100 to 200 feet above the ground, the aircraft entered a stall, resulting in a crash.
The investigation
Post-crash examination of the aircraft revealed that the elevator trim was set in a nearly full nose-up position.
Post-crash toxicology testing performed on the pilot showed the presence of antidepressants, though levels were found to be below therapeutic thresholds. While toxicology results were requested for the rear-seat passenger, the hospital reported that no such tests had been conducted.