American Champion Aircraft 7GCAA N518F accident near Bedminster, New Jersey

Probable cause

The pilot receiving instruction’s inadvertent movement of the pitch trim control to the nose-down position while attempting a go-around.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor stated that he and the pilot receiving instruction were practicing traffic pattern work and had performed two simulated engine failures without incident before the accident. The flight instructor initiated a third simulated engine failure at a higher altitude than the previous two and suggested the pilot receiving instruction perform S-turns to lose altitude. During the maneuver, the airplane descended too low to complete a power-off landing to the runway, and the flight instructor told the pilot receiving instruction to perform a go-around. The flight instructor also reached for the throttle to add full power for the go-around, but the airplane abruptly pitched down and impacted the ground, substantially damaging the wings and fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed that the pitch trim control was in the full forward (nose-down) position.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA204 for the full record.