Event FTW01LA155

Factual narrative

On June 26, 2001, at 1615 central daylight time, an American Champion 8GCBC tail-wheel equipped single-engine airplane, N249SF, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during takeoff initial climb from the Cox Field Airport near Paris, Texas. The airplane was registered to Gailcomm, Inc. of Plano, Texas, and operated by Nighthawk Aerial Advertising of Dallas, Texas. The flight instructor and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 demonstration flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The passenger was interested in purchasing a tail-wheel airplane and requested a demonstration flight. During the briefing for the flight, the passenger told the flight instructor that he had accumulated 900 hours of flight time, which included 20 hours of tail-wheel experience, but that he had "just not gotten around to taking a check ride." (According to FAA records, the passenger received a student pilot certificate on April 21, 1994.) During the briefing, the flight instructor described the performance to be expected from the aircraft on takeoff and told the passenger that he could try making the takeoff himself and that she "would take over if necessary." The flight instructor reported that at the time they departed, there was approximately a 5-knot crosswind from the left. According to the instructor, the passenger failed to compensate appropriately for the crosswind during the takeoff roll, allowing the left wing to raise slightly as the aircraft began to gain control effectiveness. At this time, the aircraft began to "weathervane" toward the left, and the passenger appeared to be trying to use aileron control to "steer away" from the crosswind. The instructor reminded him to keep the wings level. As the aircraft became airborne, the instructor said that she would help him and pushed the stick to the center. The instructor recalled that the passenger briefly resisted and then allowed the control stick to center. At the time the aircraft had achieved sufficient airspeed to have a good control effectiveness, the passenger brought the control stick "nearly fully back." As the aircraft pitched up approximately 60 degrees, the instructor asked him to "Get the nose down. Push forward. Push, push, push! I have it! Let go! Let go!!" At the point that the instructor said "I have it", she was "on the control stick, pushing forward". The instructor reported that the aircraft climbed 50 to 60 feet in the air in a slight right bank and rapidly approached a stalled condition. She further reported that "pushing forward on the stick as hard as [she] could [she] was unable to overcome [the passenger's] control inputs." She stated that she pulled the power back in order to stop the aircraft "from climbing any higher" and she yelled "Stop it!!" At this point the passenger relinquished the controls, and she was able to level the wings before the first impact with terrain. The instructor stated that as the aircraft bounced about 10 feet into the air, she applied power thinking it would give her more controllability. As the right wing, which was "still more stalled than the left wing," began to drop, she removed the power. The aircraft sank at a fast rate impacting the grassy area on the right side of the runway with the right wing. Subsequently, the aircraft cart-wheeled and came to a stop inverted on the grass pointing south, about 200 feet off the runway with the tail of the airplane resting on the taxiway. Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that both wings and the vertical stabilizer were damaged. The left main landing gear was partially separated, and the wheel of the right main landing gear was separated. The flight instructor was demonstrating the airplane to a prospective buyer, who claimed to have 900 hours flight time, but had not taken the private pilot checkride. During the briefing, the flight instructor told the potential buyer/passenger that he could try making the takeoff and that she "would take over if necessary." During the initial takeoff climb, the passenger pulled up excessively to a nose high attitude of approximately 60 degrees and froze on the controls. When he relinquished the controls, the flight instructor was unable to recover the aircraft. The aircraft sank at a fast rate, impacted the ground and bounced. Subsequently, the aircraft cart-wheeled and came to a stop inverted on the grass about 200 feet off the runway. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12