Incident Narrative
During the takeoff roll, after attaining 65 knots, the pilot raised the tail. The aircraft began to track hard to the right, causing the left landing gear tire to strike a taxiway sign. The sign broke off, puncturing the fuselage skin and striking the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot returned to the airport and landed without further incident.
Pilot's Account
In his written statement, the pilot noted that the start-up and run-up procedures were normal. He had not briefed the forward right-seat passenger to stay clear of all flight controls, and he did not retract the right-side rudder pedals. He surmised that the passenger inadvertently applied pressure to the right toe brake, causing the deviation. The pilot stated that in future operations he would include in his pre-takeoff briefing a reminder for passengers to remain clear of the controls and to retract the right-side rudder pedals.
Aftermath
The event was upgraded to an accident on October 1, 2010, by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after an inspection discovered structural damage to the left landing gear attach box and the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer.