What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The home built, powered glider was being flown on a flight to conduct a stall test at 3,000 feet. A witness observed the powered sailplane flying westbound at low altitude. According to the witness, the powered sailplane entered an abrupt turn to the east, then it started rotating to the left in a descent until it disappeared from view below a tree line. Examination of the crash site revealed evidence that the powered sailplane collided with the ground in a near vertical descent, 10-degree nose-up attitude, with no evidence of forward motion, rotating around its vertical axis to the left. Examination of the airframe, flight control assembly, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. The powered sailplane had accumulated about 4 hours of flight time, since it was built. (-23) on March 2, 1997, pilot lars r. bergstrom, private pilot certificate number 261471587, was flying aircraft N1201G, an experimental certificate powered glider in the vicinity of Wauchula, Florida. The weather was good VFR with scattered clouds at 8 thousand feet with 10 miles visibility. At ar ound 1647 EST, a witness stated that Mr. Bergstrom was proceeding west bound at a very low altitude when he abruptly entered a hard over turn which resulted in a flat spin. The aircraft landed in a pasture about 3 miles west of Wauchula, Florida. The aircraft struck the ground in a near vertical descent, rotating around its vertical axis to the left, in a ten degree nose up attitude, with no evidence of forward motion.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE HOME BUILT, POWERED GLIDER WAS BEING FLOWN ON A FLIGHT TO CONDUCT A STALL TEST AT 3,000 FEET. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE POWERED SAILPLANE FLYING WESTBOUND AT LOW ALTITUDE. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE POWERED SAILPLANE ENTERED AN ABRUPT TURN TO THE EAST, THEN IT STARTED ROTATING TO THE LEFT IN A DESCENT UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BELOW A TREE LINE. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE POWERED SAILPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT, 10-DEGREE NOSE-UP ATTITUDE, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FORWARD MOTION, ROTATING AROUND ITS VERTICAL AXIS TO THE LEFT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, FLIGHT CONTROL ASSEMBLY, ENGINE ASSEMBLY, AND ACCESSORIES REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE POWERED SAILPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 4 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, SINCE IT WAS BUILT. (-23) ON MARCH 2, 1997, PILOT LARS R. BERGSTROM, PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 261471587, WAS FLYING AIRCRAFT N1201G, AN EXPERIMENTAL CERTIFICATE POWERED GLIDER IN THE VICINITY OF WAUCHULA, FLORIDA. THE WEATHER WAS GOOD VFR WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 8 THOUSAND FEET WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY. AT AR OUND 1647 EST, A WITNESS STATED THAT MR. BERGSTROM WAS PROCEEDING WEST BOUND AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE WHEN HE ABRUPTLY ENTERED A HARD OVER TURN WHICH RESULTED IN A FLAT SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A PASTURE ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF WAUCHULA, FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT, ROTATING AROUND ITS VERTICAL AXIS TO THE LEFT, IN A TEN DEGREE NOSE UP ATTITUDE, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FORWARD MOTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.