Maybe, but unfortunately I've seen the scenario before. Holding forward stick to keep it on the ground and have the tail come up, but with controls reversed it "jumps off the ground" unexpectedly and then the pilot pushes the stick/control all the way forward quickly...which brings it to a steep stall/spin. If that's the case, it does go to checklist, as I'm not sure it's realistic to re-wire your brain that fast to realize the controls are reversed.

I've read the type gust lock on that plane flips up from the floor and effectively also depresses the brakes so the plane won't even roll? Hopefully there wasn't a seatbelt around the aft stick or something. The investigators should be able to sort this one out.

Sudden aft CG change?

Short of the engine block falling off, there doesn't appear to be enough space in the fuselage for something in the cabin to shift significantly. Seats not locked in the rails and falling/sliding back during takeoff, but that wouldn't really explain why the aircraft leapt off without first raising the tail. That could be technique, but it's usually not a very common one.

Hi Rick,

The guy with the YouTube channel called “blancolirio” did a really nice analysis and found that the gust lock system on that aircraft also locks the rudder pedals. He showed that it would be highly unlikely to impossible to even taxi the airplane with the gust lock still in place.

you are right about the gust lock on system on this particular type of airplane.

i would also say that if the rear seat was wrapped around the stick the FRONT stick would also be full aft. I’m thinking he would have seen that.

I’m thinking that perhaps he left the elevator pitch trim in the full nose up setting- perhaps from the previous landing?
With the elevator trim in the full aft position, the nose would pitch off the ground very rapidly as we saw in the video.

Also, I thought perhaps he inputted some nose-up trim and then perhaps it ran away full nose up deflection.

What throws the trim theory in question though is that there was seemingly no nose down elevator input to at least try to overcome the severe pitch up.

Anybody else the distinct LACK of any control surface movement during the takeoff sequence, airborne or even during the impact?
I don't think 'control lock' issue, control surface issue caused by xxxxxx, and that is where the NTSB comes in.

Could have simply been a massive heart attack that caused him to reflexively yank the stick back. Stranger things have happened to younger men.

The audio sounds like he was not incapacitated.

Yeah that's what I think I saw. Sounds like gust lock design precludes that, so back to jammed controls.