On June 26, 2001, an American Champion (acac) 8GCBC (registration N249SF) operated by Nighthawk Aerial Advertising was involved in an aviation accident near Paris, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the excessive pull up by the passenger along with the certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision leading to a loss of control during the takeoff initial climb. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a pre-purchase demonstration, a flight instructor allowed a prospective buyer to attempt a takeoff. The buyer pulled the aircraft to a 60-degree nose-high attitude and froze on the controls; the instructor could not recover before impact and a subsequent cartwheel.
Incident Overview
A flight instructor was demonstrating an airplane to a prospective buyer who reported 900 hours of flight time but had not completed the private pilot checkride. During the preflight briefing, the instructor told the passenger that he could try making the takeoff and that she "would take over if necessary."
Sequence of Events
During the initial takeoff climb, the passenger pulled the nose up excessively, reaching a nose-high attitude of approximately 60 degrees, and then froze on the controls. When the passenger eventually relinquished the controls, the flight instructor was unable to recover the aircraft. The airplane sank at a fast rate, impacted the ground, and bounced. Subsequently, the aircraft cartwheeled and came to a stop inverted on the grass approximately 200 feet off the runway.