What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Appears pilot lost control due spatial disorientation and had a seizure under stress due to heart disease. (-23) aircraft departed Farmington, new Mexico airport at night. Witnesses observed the aircraft level off after rotation, accelerate until reaching the end of the runway, and then enter a climbing left turn. Several witnesses observed the aircraft in a spin prior to impact south of the airport. The aircraft impacted the ground in a steep nose down attitude. 5 fatalities were incurred as a result. The aircraft was certificated for a 4 person configuration. The 5th person, a young female, was in the baggage area. Flight control integrity was established at the scene, and no engine problems have been noted to date. Due to fuel burn, a/c appears to have been within weight and balance limits.
As the FAA filed it
APPEARS PILOT LOST CONTROL DUE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND HAD A SEIZURE UNDER STRESS DUE TO HEART DISEASE. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO AIRPORT AT NIGHT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT LEVEL OFF AFTER ROTATION, ACCELERATE UNTIL REACHING THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND THEN ENTER A CLIMBING LEFT TURN. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SPIN PRIOR TO IMPACT SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. 5 FATALITIES WERE INCURRED AS A RESULT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CERTIFICATED FOR A 4 PERSON CONFIGURATION. THE 5TH PERSON, A YOUNG FEMALE, WAS IN THE BAGGAGE AREA. FLIGHT CONTROL INTEGRITY WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE SCENE, AND NO ENGINE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN NOTED TO DATE. DUE TO FUEL BURN, A/C APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WITHIN WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.