Accident Overview
A flight instructor (CFI) was conducting a flight review for a private pilot in the private pilot's airplane. The aircraft had recently undergone an annual inspection that included removal and replacement of the elevator. This flight was the first since the repairs were completed.
The Incident
According to the CFI, during the takeoff roll, as soon as the private pilot moved the yoke aft, the airplane nosed over. The aircraft came to rest inverted.
Postaccident Findings
An FAA inspector performed a postaccident inspection of the airplane. The inspection revealed that the elevator cables had been connected backwards. This misconnection reversed the control yoke actions, resulting in down elevator movement when the yoke was pulled aft.
Preflight Inspection
The CFI reported that both he and the private pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane. However, they did not verify the correct travel of the elevator. In a written statement to the NTSB, the CFI noted: "The elevator is hard or impossible to see while being buckled in the aircraft, but [it] should have been discovered."
Conclusion
The accident occurred because the elevator cables were connected backwards, causing the elevator to move in the opposite direction of the control yoke input. The preflight inspection did not include a check of elevator control travel.