Incident Overview
Witnesses observed the airplane enter a left climbing turn over rising terrain after taking off to the south. The airplane subsequently impacted trees with its left wing before impacting the ground in a nose-down attitude.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that his passenger, who was in excess of 6 feet tall, had a habit of placing his feet on the rudder pedals during flight. The pilot stated that after taking off and entering a left turn, he noticed the turn was not coordinated as a result of the passenger having his feet on the rudder pedals.
The pilot said that he attempted to return to the airport, but the passenger "freaked out" and grabbed the control yoke, resulting in the pilot losing control of the airplane and crashing.
Examination Findings
A postaccident examination of the airplane failed to reveal any anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.