Accident Sequence
A student pilot lost control of a single-engine airplane during the takeoff initial climb with a tailwind. The aircraft subsequently collided with trees while descending in a crosswind turn. The student had departed with an 8-knot tailwind. Although the UNICOM frequency was in operation, no reports of the accident airplane requesting departure information or making a position report were heard.
A pilot witness observed the airplane unable to gain altitude after leaving ground effect. The nose pitched up and to the left, and the airplane began to oscillate back and forth as if struggling to climb. The witness added that the airplane made a shallow left-hand turn, the nose pitched up, and then the airplane stalled and went nose down.
Pilot Information
The student pilot was a paraplegic and had accumulated approximately 74 total hours of flight time, of which about 25 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The student had about 6 hours of solo flight time prior to the accident. The aircraft was equipped with a rudder hand control, allowing the pilot to operate the rudder pedals manually. The student had performed a demonstrated ability flight using the hand control five days before the accident.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed that the propeller had sliced through 4-inch thick tree branches. The right magneto would not operate after the accident; its breaker points would not open, and oil and dirt were found inside the magneto housing. Additionally, the magneto's drive was excessively loose. No other anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine.
Magneto Inspection History
At the time of the last annual inspection, the engine's magneto timing was checked. A service bulletin issued for the affected magneto required an inspection every 500 hours. At the time of the accident, the magneto had accumulated 1,256.36 hours total time in service, and there was no entry indicating that the service bulletin had been complied with. The density altitude was computed to be 8,400 feet.