Introduction
On the day of the accident, a flight instructor with 2,300 hours and a student pilot with 22 hours departed for an instructional flight. The aircraft involved was a fixed-wing airplane, though its specific type and registration were not disclosed in the investigation report.
Witness Accounts
A first witness, who is also a certified flight instructor (CFI) employed by the same flight school, reported driving an automobile onto an intersection taxiway in an attempt to attract the accident pilot's attention. This witness observed the airplane's takeoff as "abrupt and nose high." After the takeoff run, the airplane briefly leveled off, then climbed to between 50 and 100 feet before entering a steep left bank. It descended to about 50 feet while on the downwind leg, then climbed back to between 100 and 200 feet.
A second witness noticed the airplane taxi onto runway 17 while weather conditions were described as "windy-gusty, 30 plus" (likely referring to wind speed). This witness kept his attention on the airplane and saw a car at the first taxiway exit, with the occupant waving an arm out the window "as if he was flagging the aircraft down." The witness reported hearing the engine accelerate to full power, and it sounded normal. During the takeoff, the airplane was "sharply pulled into flight" before the nose was lowered to build airspeed for a few seconds. The witness noted a normal climb to about 300 feet, followed by a hard left bank at a 70-plus-degree angle. After completing a 180-degree turn, the airplane dove sharply to approximately 30 feet, then "sharply climbed" to about 300 feet. Another sharp left turn ensued, with a bank angle of 70 to 80 degrees, and the airplane appeared to "rock" once before impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, a university weather station reported wind from 139 degrees at 28 knots, gusting to 37 knots. The strong and gusty winds likely posed challenging conditions for the flight.
Examination
Flight control continuity was established at the accident site, indicating that the controls were intact. A detailed post-crash examination of the wreckage failed to identify any pre-impact abnormalities with the airplane, suggesting no mechanical failure was evident.