Narrative:

While on departure from runway 22 at approximately 500 ft AGL; my student's seat apparently unlatched and slid to the full aft position with control yoke still in hand. The aircraft pitched violently upwards; stall warning horn and then light buffeting at best without a clean stall. I was looking for traffic off to my right side when I heard the seat 'click;' and then I looked over to see his seat sliding back with his feet in the air. The pitch-up occurred instantly; my reaction was to grab the control yoke and push it forward as my student simultaneously shouted; 'you have the controls!' we lost no more than 50 ft and I was able to regain control of the airplane after obtaining safe airspeed. He was initially quite shaken. We were then able to continue the flight lesson without further incident. Lessons learned -- as PIC of a dual training flight; it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of the flight. This means not taking for granted the successful completion of 'routine' tasks; such as the latching of a seat; without verifying it. In the cirrus SR20; the handle in front of the seat must clearly be down in order to lock the seat in place. Pulling the handle up allows for seat adjustment. Secondly; I think that this event shows that even with all the double-checks in the world; unexpected and unwelcome things can still happen. I presented this situation to my student as a practical application of a power on departure stall. We discussed the recovery procedure as well as what was unique to this situation -- if you are pulled from the controls; release them -- the airplane will return to its trimmed position. In this case; releasing the controls would have effectively been a 'reduction in back pressure.' adjust the seat and then fully regain control.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SR20 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT REPORTS THE STUDENT'S SEAT UNLATCHING AND SLIDING AFT CAUSING A PITCH-UP AND NEAR STALL CONDITION.

Narrative: WHILE ON DEP FROM RWY 22 AT APPROX 500 FT AGL; MY STUDENT'S SEAT APPARENTLY UNLATCHED AND SLID TO THE FULL AFT POS WITH CTL YOKE STILL IN HAND. THE ACFT PITCHED VIOLENTLY UPWARDS; STALL WARNING HORN AND THEN LIGHT BUFFETING AT BEST WITHOUT A CLEAN STALL. I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC OFF TO MY R SIDE WHEN I HEARD THE SEAT 'CLICK;' AND THEN I LOOKED OVER TO SEE HIS SEAT SLIDING BACK WITH HIS FEET IN THE AIR. THE PITCH-UP OCCURRED INSTANTLY; MY REACTION WAS TO GRAB THE CTL YOKE AND PUSH IT FORWARD AS MY STUDENT SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOUTED; 'YOU HAVE THE CTLS!' WE LOST NO MORE THAN 50 FT AND I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER OBTAINING SAFE AIRSPD. HE WAS INITIALLY QUITE SHAKEN. WE WERE THEN ABLE TO CONTINUE THE FLT LESSON WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. LESSONS LEARNED -- AS PIC OF A DUAL TRAINING FLT; IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. THIS MEANS NOT TAKING FOR GRANTED THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF 'ROUTINE' TASKS; SUCH AS THE LATCHING OF A SEAT; WITHOUT VERIFYING IT. IN THE CIRRUS SR20; THE HANDLE IN FRONT OF THE SEAT MUST CLEARLY BE DOWN IN ORDER TO LOCK THE SEAT IN PLACE. PULLING THE HANDLE UP ALLOWS FOR SEAT ADJUSTMENT. SECONDLY; I THINK THAT THIS EVENT SHOWS THAT EVEN WITH ALL THE DOUBLE-CHKS IN THE WORLD; UNEXPECTED AND UNWELCOME THINGS CAN STILL HAPPEN. I PRESENTED THIS SITUATION TO MY STUDENT AS A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF A PWR ON DEP STALL. WE DISCUSSED THE RECOVERY PROC AS WELL AS WHAT WAS UNIQUE TO THIS SITUATION -- IF YOU ARE PULLED FROM THE CTLS; RELEASE THEM -- THE AIRPLANE WILL RETURN TO ITS TRIMMED POS. IN THIS CASE; RELEASING THE CTLS WOULD HAVE EFFECTIVELY BEEN A 'REDUCTION IN BACK PRESSURE.' ADJUST THE SEAT AND THEN FULLY REGAIN CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.