Fatal discovery flight during takeoff at North Perry 8/4/23

[Lindberg]

In my 1980 N model, during the pre-takeoff control check, you can pull the yoke back and see the elevator & trim tab position through the rear windows to confirm proper trim tab position regardless of where the trim wheel indicator lines up. If that doesn't match the trim wheel position indicator, then the indicator has slipped and you should re-adjust it. It could also indicate that the trim range is not properly set.

Lessons C-172 owners can learn from this tragedy: The front seats have metal safety stops bolted into the back of the rails, so if the seat slides back it only goes so far. Make sure those are installed, inspected and functional. And always make sure your front seat passenger's seat is fully latched into its position. Add to your checklist passenger briefing (you do have one, right?) that if the seat slides back on takeoff, do not grab the yoke. You don't have to grab anything, just let it slide, we can adjust it later in flight. Similar to a door popping open in flight, it is not an emergency unless you over-react and turn it into an emergency.

When a had a Cessna, my passenger briefing including telling them that if their seat slid backwards they could grab anything to secure themselves other than the yoke, and if they grabbed the yoke, we would both die. I repeated it at least twice.

After a flight with a buddy where I let him fly the plane, I asked him why he was so nervous when I told him to take over. He said, "Before we took off, you said if grabbed the yoke we'd die. Then when we were flying, you told me to grab the yoke...." At least he was listening.

 

[guest user]

My opinion is something caused the elevator to go up where the instructor could not use the yoke to correct. The instructor (most likely the instructor) then had the presence of mind to try to correct w/ nose down elevator trim. However, if the elevator was being held back by person or obstruction, then the trim tab actually worked backwards, since it could not deflect the jammed/stuck/etc elevator down, but rather added additional nose up. If this is the case, this had to be a most perplexing last few moments of flight.

 

[Rockymountain]

The student’s natural reaction would be to grab the yoke and try to pull himself back. (The instructor may have even had the student following his movements on the yoke.) If that were happening, there’s no way the instructor would be able to overcome the student’s weight to push the yoke forward.

Dang man, get to the gym. Unless the gal was very very “healthy” a normal dude should be able to bench press her back up to level flight. Especially when staring at blue sky and heaven at the same time. Was the CFI the woman?

 

[guest user]

There are photos in the article, if you're interested.

 

[2-Bit Speed]

... a normal dude should be able to bench press her back up to level flight.

I weigh less than 110#. There is very little I can 'bench press.'