Accident Overview
A night instructional flight ended when, after initiating a steep climb following takeoff, the aircraft descended in a near-vertical attitude and impacted trees and terrain. A post-impact fire and explosion ensued.
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported that the airplane lifted off the runway, accelerated while remaining in ground effect, and near the departure end of the runway climbed in a vertical attitude, banked, and then descended. Local authorities and the flight instructor's students had previously observed the flight instructor perform this same maneuver in single-engine high-wing aircraft.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The flight instructor had accumulated 17.1 hours in the low wing single-engine aircraft involved, which included one night flight of 1.5 hours consisting of takeoffs and landings.
Physical Evidence
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude with a left bank. The landing gear and flaps were in the retracted configuration. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies was found. Flight control continuity was established; however, the stabilator up cable was found severed due to arcing and tensile overload.
Investigation Findings
The investigation did not identify any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have contributed to the accident. The aircraft's flight controls were functional up to the point of impact, except for the severed stabilator cable, which resulted from the accident sequence.