Narrative:

I had just sold a home-built biplane aircraft to a pilot who was approximately 71 yrs old. He told me he had a lot of tail dragger time and that he now owned an small aircraft and another tail dragger. He paid me for the aircraft and I signed the bill of sale. At this time, I asked him if he would like me to ride around the airport pattern with him before he started home. He had flow to 5w8 with a friend who said he thought he should, so if there were any questions in operation, he could ask me. I offered to fly him, letting him situation in the front seat, because the aircraft is landed from the back seat. He insisted on flying from the back, as he wanted to land it. I had already told him it was very tricky on landing, but he insisted he had a lot of tail dragger time and landing would be no problem. I agreed to ride in front. On takeoff he lost his helmet and dove toward runway contacting runway very hard. It happened so fast I could not help. We proceeded around pattern and normal approach to landing. At T/D airplane made a hard left turn and ran off runway, tearing off gear. I could not take any action because it happened so fast, and everything had been normal until then. The airplane received only minor damage, the propeller and gear. The real kicker to the whole mess was that afterward, he asked if I would have to tell the FAA. I told him I was only a passenger, and that it was his duty to inform them. He then informed me that he didn't have a current medical. I'm sending this for a number of reasons. I was not PIC, I was not flying the airplane and was not in the back seat where the airplane is normally controled from. Also, this should be a lesson for anyone selling an airplane--get money first and finish paperwork before riding. Don't assume because someone says he can fly, he can. Don't assume because he is currently flying small aircraft's that he is current on everything, including certificates (medical). I don't want the FAA saying it was my fault. I was dumb in taking too much at the man's word, but unable to control problem after I got in airplane with him.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT BUYS ACFT AND LOSES CONTROL ON HIS FIRST FLT, LEAVING RWY AND DAMAGING THE ACFT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST SOLD A HOME-BUILT BIPLANE ACFT TO A PLT WHO WAS APPROX 71 YRS OLD. HE TOLD ME HE HAD A LOT OF TAIL DRAGGER TIME AND THAT HE NOW OWNED AN SMA AND ANOTHER TAIL DRAGGER. HE PAID ME FOR THE ACFT AND I SIGNED THE BILL OF SALE. AT THIS TIME, I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE ME TO RIDE AROUND THE ARPT PATTERN WITH HIM BEFORE HE STARTED HOME. HE HAD FLOW TO 5W8 WITH A FRIEND WHO SAID HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD, SO IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS IN OPERATION, HE COULD ASK ME. I OFFERED TO FLY HIM, LETTING HIM SIT IN THE FRONT SEAT, BECAUSE THE ACFT IS LANDED FROM THE BACK SEAT. HE INSISTED ON FLYING FROM THE BACK, AS HE WANTED TO LAND IT. I HAD ALREADY TOLD HIM IT WAS VERY TRICKY ON LNDG, BUT HE INSISTED HE HAD A LOT OF TAIL DRAGGER TIME AND LNDG WOULD BE NO PROB. I AGREED TO RIDE IN FRONT. ON TKOF HE LOST HIS HELMET AND DOVE TOWARD RWY CONTACTING RWY VERY HARD. IT HAPPENED SO FAST I COULD NOT HELP. WE PROCEEDED AROUND PATTERN AND NORMAL APCH TO LNDG. AT T/D AIRPLANE MADE A HARD LEFT TURN AND RAN OFF RWY, TEARING OFF GEAR. I COULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION BECAUSE IT HAPPENED SO FAST, AND EVERYTHING HAD BEEN NORMAL UNTIL THEN. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE, THE PROP AND GEAR. THE REAL KICKER TO THE WHOLE MESS WAS THAT AFTERWARD, HE ASKED IF I WOULD HAVE TO TELL THE FAA. I TOLD HIM I WAS ONLY A PAX, AND THAT IT WAS HIS DUTY TO INFORM THEM. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL. I'M SENDING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. I WAS NOT PIC, I WAS NOT FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND WAS NOT IN THE BACK SEAT WHERE THE AIRPLANE IS NORMALLY CTLED FROM. ALSO, THIS SHOULD BE A LESSON FOR ANYONE SELLING AN AIRPLANE--GET MONEY FIRST AND FINISH PAPERWORK BEFORE RIDING. DON'T ASSUME BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS HE CAN FLY, HE CAN. DON'T ASSUME BECAUSE HE IS CURRENTLY FLYING SMA'S THAT HE IS CURRENT ON EVERYTHING, INCLUDING CERTIFICATES (MEDICAL). I DON'T WANT THE FAA SAYING IT WAS MY FAULT. I WAS DUMB IN TAKING TOO MUCH AT THE MAN'S WORD, BUT UNABLE TO CONTROL PROB AFTER I GOT IN AIRPLANE WITH HIM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.