Accident Sequence
During a local instructional flight involving touch-and-go landings at an uncontrolled airport, the airplane took off to the west, returned, and performed a touch-and-go in the opposite direction. It then made two sharp 90-degree turns to line up with the western runway again. After another touch-and-go, the airplane climbed at a very steep angle. Witnesses reported that when viewed from behind, the airplane appeared fully silhouetted in plan view against the sky. Subsequently, the airplane turned to the right and dropped to the ground.
Survivor and Student Account
The student pilot survived the accident. He stated that the certified flight instructor (CFI) instructed him to fly down the runway just high enough so that the wheels would not touch. The student then pulled up to the appropriate takeoff attitude but most likely failed to apply takeoff power.
Postmortem Findings
Autopsy revealed that the CFI had a postmortem blood ethanol level of 0.31%, a level that would render a nontolerant individual unconscious or nearly so. This level of tolerance indicated a minimum period of weeks or months of sustained increased alcohol intake rather than a single binge event. Witnesses saw the instructor consume alcohol before the flight. The CFI also had a prior DUI conviction and liver cirrhosis found during the autopsy.
Instructor's Impairment and FAA Reporting
The CFI's judgment and performance were undoubtedly impaired by alcohol. He had reported his prior DUI to the FAA, but the FAA did not request details nor require an additional substance dependence evaluation.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was the student's failure to apply takeoff power after pulling up to the appropriate takeoff attitude, and the CFI's failure to respond to the situation before the airplane entered a nose-high, stalled condition from which there was insufficient altitude for a safe recovery.