Accident Overview
An accident occurred during a short field takeoff demonstration from a soft field at an airport. The instructor pilot was conducting the demonstration, with a student pilot onboard. Witnesses heard an occupant in the accident airplane say, "Watch this takeoff" to a friend taxiing another airplane.
Sequence of Events
According to the instructor pilot, after takeoff he pitched the airplane to its best rate of climb attitude. After attaining the desired airspeed, he pitched the airplane up to attain its best angle of climb speed. The airplane lifted off the runway and remained in ground effect until passing over the clearway at the runway's departure end. Witnesses then observed the airplane pitch up steeply, roll to the right, and descend nose first into trees and terrain.
The student pilot reported that the instructor took the airplane off, leveled it about 3 to 5 feet above the runway, and pitched it up to about 60 degrees. The student heard the stall horn activate and recalled the airplane banking to the right and pitching down. The collision with trees and terrain occurred shortly after the descent began.
Investigation Findings
On-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the airframe, flight control system, or engine that would prevent flight. The wing flaps were found in the retracted position. The pilot's operating handbook states that 10 degrees of flaps should be used during short and soft field takeoffs.