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ATL91LA171

1991-09-08 · PICKENS, South Carolina, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LQK

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PANICKED, INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE STUDENT.

Factual narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT SAID THAT A WALK-IN STUDENT REQUESTED AN INTRODUCTORY LESSON. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF NERVOUSNESS BY THE STUDENT. AFTER TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 50 FEET, THE STUDENT PANICKED, GRASPED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, YELLED, AND TRIED TO HIDE BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AFTER GRASPING THE CONTROL WHEEL THE STUDENT POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE LEFT WING AND NOSE DOWN. THE INSTRUCTOR FOUGHT FOR THE CONTROLS WITH PARTIAL SUCCESS. AFTER COLLIDING WITH TREES HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL & THE IGNITION & MASTER SWITCHES. WHEN THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST THE INSTRUCTOR ASSISTED THE STUDENT, WHO WAS STILL GRASPING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_ATL91LA171.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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