What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) A witness reported seeing the airplane circling low overhead in a 'clockwise to rectangular' pattern. The witness observed the airplane turning southerly and descending, when it pitched up 45 degrees, and appeared to have stalled. The airplane then went into a 45 degree dive. The witness said the airplane sounded normal. The local police searched the hanger for signs of a suicide note, because the pilot's wife said he recently had been acting desponded. No such note was found. No mechanical failure/malfunction of the airframe, powerplant, or flight controls were discovered during the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE CIRCLING LOW OVERHEAD IN A 'CLOCKWISE TO RECTANGULAR' PATTERN. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE TURNING SOUTHERLY AND DESCENDING, WHEN IT PITCHED UP 45 DEGREES, AND APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED. THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT INTO A 45 DEGREE DIVE. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE SOUNDED NORMAL. THE LOCAL POLICE SEARCHED THE HANGER FOR SIGNS OF A SUICIDE NOTE, BECAUSE THE PILOT'S WIFE SAID HE RECENTLY HAD BEEN ACTING DESPONDED. NO SUCH NOTE WAS FOUND. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME, POWERPLANT, OR FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.