ENGLEWOOD, CO, USA
N63078
CESSNA 172P
IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RWY 17L THE PILOT REQUESTED AN '...IMMEDIATE LANDING...' ON RWY 35R. APRX 17 SECS LATER, IN RESPONSE TO THE TOWER'S QUERY, THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT PAX (24-HR STUDENT PLT) VERIFIED BY RADIO THE FLIGHT'S INTENTION. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A 180 DEG LEFT TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER CROSSING THE UPWIND END OF THE RWY. IT STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND 400 FT SHORT OF RWY 35R. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED APRX 150-200 FT AGL AFTER CLEARING THE DEPARTURE END OF THE 10,000-FT RWY. THE FRONT SEAT PAX'S WIFE & 2 INFANT DAUGHTERS WERE IN THE REAR; HIS SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS WAS FOUND UNATTACHED. THE FRONT SEAT PAX INJURIES INCLUDED LARGE LACERATIONS TO POSTERIOR ASPECTS OF THE BACK AND RIGHT ELBOW. THE FRONT SEAT PAX WEIGHED 240 LBS; THE PLT WEIGHED 150 LBS.
A LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL INITIATED BY INADVERTENT CONTROL INTERFERENCE BY THE PASSENGER PILOT WHILE APPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO QUELL A DISTURBANCE OF AN UNKNOWN NATURE. AS A RESULT, THE PILOT DID NOT, OR WAS UNABLE TO, MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE TO PREVENT A STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT CONDITION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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