This November 2007 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Location: Ranger, Texas. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The accident happened while on a instructional cross-country flight in visual meteorological conditions. The purpose of the flight was to allow the left seat student to acquire experience flying the airplane and to allow the back seat passenger, who was also a student pilot, to listen to radio transmissions. The CFI, who was known at the flight school for performing aerobatics in the school’s aircraft, had logged 595 hours.

Before the flight, the instructor of the back seat student and the accident flight instructor had lunch. The accident flight instructor was asked not to “do any funny stuff” with the back seat student on board. The instructor of the back seat student told investigators she made the request because she didn’t want him to learn any bad habits.

... read the rest of Unauthorized aerobatics kill three (216 words)