What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed in open field, crashed and burned. (.4) prior to joining the bureau of land management as an OV-10 pilot, the pilot flew helicopters for the U.S. Forest service and was based at the fire station where the accident occurred. Witnesses at the station reported seeing the aircraft fly by their location at approximately 200 feet AGL and enter a right roll to a near inverted attitude. It then was observed to reverse the direction of roll in what appeared to be an attempt by the pilot to level the wings. The aircraft was then observed to impact the ground in a 90-degree right bank with approximately a 30-degree nose down pitch attitude. The witnesses further stated that both engines sounded normal as the aircraft passed their location. Heavy rotational damage was noted to both engines and propellers.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED IN OPEN FIELD, CRASHED AND BURNED. (.4) PRIOR TO JOINING THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AS AN OV-10 PILOT, THE PILOT FLEW HELICOPTERS FOR THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND WAS BASED AT THE FIRE STATION WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. WITNESSES AT THE STATION REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FLY BY THEIR LOCATION AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL AND ENTER A RIGHT ROLL TO A NEAR INVERTED ATTITUDE. IT THEN WAS OBSERVED TO REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF ROLL IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ATTEMPT BY THE PILOT TO LEVEL THE WINGS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO IMPACT THE GROUND IN A 90-DEGREE RIGHT BANK WITH APPROXIMATELY A 30-DEGREE NOSE DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE. THE WITNESSES FURTHER STATED THAT BOTH ENGINES SOUNDED NORMAL AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THEIR LOCATION. HEAVY ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO BOTH ENGINES AND PROPELLERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.