Primary finding
Probable cause
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student's soft-field takeoff, which resulted in an excessive pitch attitude, settling effect, and impact with a ditch off the end of the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight, which included touch-and-go landings. During the landing rollout and with about 2,000 ft of runway remaining, the instructor directed the student to transition to a soft-field takeoff. The student conducted the takeoff and attempted to climb with a high pitch attitude, but the airplane settled back to the ground off the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The instructor reported that the pitch attitude during the climbout was too high and that he should not have directed the student to attempt a soft-field takeoff given the runway distance remaining. The instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight that included touch and go landings. During landing rollout, with about 2,000 ft of runway remaining, the flight instructor directed the student to transition to a soft field takeoff.The student made the takeoff and attempted to climb out of with a high pitch attitude, during which the airplane settled back to the ground off the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a ditch, which damaged the fuselage. Following the accident, the flight instructor recognized the pitch attitude during the student's climb out was too high and that he should not have directed the student to attempt a soft field takeoff, based on the runway distance remaining. The accident report form indicated that there were mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.