The Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) said in May 2019 a relatively new flight instructor managed to wrestle control of a Cessna 152 away from a student pilot at just 400 feet agl after the aircraft abruptly pitched down into a steep dive at 2,000 feet agl. The instructor sustained minor injuries while the student was uninjured. The flight instructor and student terminated the lesson after recovering from the dive.
Flight Instructor Learns Valuable Lesson About Flying with a New Student
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 152 entered a steep dive after a student pilot, during a trim demonstration, became confused and let go of the control wheel.
- The instructor, delayed by a head injury and not having hands in a ready position, successfully recovered the aircraft at 400 feet agl.
- The recovery attempt caused severe structural damage to the right horizontal stabilizer, nearing total failure, because the instructor did not neutralize the elevator trim before recovering from the dive, leading to asymmetric flight loads.
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