What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed into wooded area. (.4)witnesses observed the airplane flying at low altitude. One witness said the pilot made 3 low passes over or near her home. She said the airplane '...pulled straight up...' And eventually leveled off during the third pass. Another witness observed the airplane pass by the front of (his) house below 100 feet AGL. He said the engine was not sputtering and '...appeared to be functioning properly.' Subsequently, the airplane struck the top (ground) wires of a high tension electrical power line. Shortly after the collision, it impacted a dirt road beneath the wires and began burning. An on-scene examination revealed no anomalies with the flight controls or engine that would have prevented flight. Two ground wires were entangled in the wreckage. Toxicology tests detected ethanol in the pilot's blood at a level of 141.000 mg/dl (0.141%) and in the vitreous fluid at 163 mg/dl (0.163%). Testing also detected tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (an inactive metabolite of marijuana) in the pilot's blood at a level of 0.002 mcg/ml. (-23) the aircraft flew into high tension power lines and crashed. Witness ses stated that they had observed the aircraft flying low in the immediate area just prior to the crash.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO WOODED AREA. (.4)WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE. ONE WITNESS SAID THE PILOT MADE 3 LOW PASSES OVER OR NEAR HER HOME. SHE SAID THE AIRPLANE '...PULLED STRAIGHT UP...' AND EVENTUALLY LEVELED OFF DURING THE THIRD PASS. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PASS BY THE FRONT OF (HIS) HOUSE BELOW 100 FEET AGL. HE SAID THE ENGINE WAS NOT SPUTTERING AND '...APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOP (GROUND) WIRES OF A HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL POWER LINE. SHORTLY AFTER THE COLLISION, IT IMPACTED A DIRT ROAD BENEATH THE WIRES AND BEGAN BURNING. AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS OR ENGINE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FLIGHT. TWO GROUND WIRES WERE ENTANGLED IN THE WRECKAGE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS DETECTED ETHANOL IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AT A LEVEL OF 141.000 MG/DL (0.141%) AND IN THE VITREOUS FLUID AT 163 MG/DL (0.163%). TESTING ALSO DETECTED TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (AN INACTIVE METABOLITE OF MARIJUANA) IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AT A LEVEL OF 0.002 MCG/ML. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AND CRASHED. WITNESS SES STATED THAT THEY HAD OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING LOW IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.