Accident Overview
A training airplane experienced a loss of directional control during the takeoff roll. The airplane began to drift to the right, and neither the certified flight instructor nor the student pilot could stop the yaw and drift. As the airplane was about to depart the runway surface, the pilots chose not to reduce the throttles or apply the brakes, believing it would be safer to attempt to become airborne instead.
Sequence of Events
After departing the runway surface, the airplane collided with a series of berms. The impact sheared off the left landing gear and the left engine. The right landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination revealed that the student pilot had inadvertently set the rudder trim to the full right position while adjusting the rudder pedals during prestart checks. The rudder trim was found in the full right position upon post-accident inspection, confirming it was in that configuration for the takeoff.