What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed conrolled flight on final crashed. (.4) the pilot said that the winds at the destination airstrip 'appeared to be light on the ground and out of the north- northwest, judging by the windsock. I entered a normal traffic pattern, rolled out on final and flew final at my normal approach speed with full flaps. At approximately 100-120 feet, I hit a windshear. The wind either stopped or abruptly became a tailwind. The aircraft quickly settled.' The pilot said that he rapidly applied power, but hit the ground before it could take effect. A witness on the ground, near the location of the accident, noticed that the wind was changing directions, 'sometimes from the northwest, west, and east.' The witness said that about 100 feet above the ground, 'the airplane appeared to almost stop then drop nearly vertical.' The witness said that he heard the power being added before the airplane struck the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. (-23) on approach to Private turf airfield 1 mile north of Rapid City, aircraft stalled and crashed short of runway. A witness saw the aircraft drop almost vertically and heard power being added just before the aircraft stru ck the ground. He also noticed that prior to the accident the wind sock was shifting from calm to west to northwest to east.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED CONROLLED FLIGHT ON FINAL CRASHED. (.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT THE WINDS AT THE DESTINATION AIRSTRIP 'APPEARED TO BE LIGHT ON THE GROUND AND OUT OF THE NORTH- NORTHWEST, JUDGING BY THE WINDSOCK. I ENTERED A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, ROLLED OUT ON FINAL AND FLEW FINAL AT MY NORMAL APPROACH SPEED WITH FULL FLAPS. AT APPROXIMATELY 100-120 FEET, I HIT A WINDSHEAR. THE WIND EITHER STOPPED OR ABRUPTLY BECAME A TAILWIND. THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY SETTLED.' THE PILOT SAID THAT HE RAPIDLY APPLIED POWER, BUT HIT THE GROUND BEFORE IT COULD TAKE EFFECT. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND, NEAR THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT, NOTICED THAT THE WIND WAS CHANGING DIRECTIONS, 'SOMETIMES FROM THE NORTHWEST, WEST, AND EAST.' THE WITNESS SAID THAT ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, 'THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO ALMOST STOP THEN DROP NEARLY VERTICAL.' THE WITNESS SAID THAT HE HEARD THE POWER BEING ADDED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. (-23) ON APPROACH TO PRIVATE TURF AIRFIELD 1 MILE NORTH OF RAPID CITY, AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CRASHED SHORT OF RUNWAY. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT DROP ALMOST VERTICALLY AND HEARD POWER BEING ADDED JUST BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT STRU CK THE GROUND. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE WIND SOCK WAS SHIFTING FROM CALM TO WEST TO NORTHWEST TO EAST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.