What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At cruise nosed up rolled over. Descended to impact vertically. Aged pilot sans medical possible incompacitation. (.4) the 64 year-old private pilot, whose third class medical had expired in August 1995, departed in an RV-4 experimental aircraft approximately 1530, and was observed by another pilot flying a Cessna 170 near the crash site about 20 minutes later. The eyewitness pilot 'noticed an rv aircraft coming up on my left side. I wagged my wings and he wagged his wings back. He then proceeded to pass me on my left, when he was approximately at my 11 o'clock (position), he executed a roll to the left. At the inverted stage of the roll the aircraft dove straight into the ground' (from an elevation of approximately 750 AGL). An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and reported that a control system check revealed no evidence of mechanical disconnect or malfunction. A deputy from the linn county sheriff's office, who interviewed the pilot's wife, reported that she had told him that 'her husband has been have(ing) real bad migraine headaches that would leave him incapacitated.' She also told the deputy that 'he would blackout, and get tunnel vision' and that 'sometimes they (the migraines) would get so bad, he could not talk.'
As the FAA filed it
AT CRUISE NOSED UP ROLLED OVER. DESCENDED TO IMPACT VERTICALLY. AGED PILOT SANS MEDICAL POSSIBLE INCOMPACITATION. (.4) THE 64 YEAR-OLD PRIVATE PILOT, WHOSE THIRD CLASS MEDICAL HAD EXPIRED IN AUGUST 1995, DEPARTED IN AN RV-4 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 1530, AND WAS OBSERVED BY ANOTHER PILOT FLYING A CESSNA 170 NEAR THE CRASH SITE ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER. THE EYEWITNESS PILOT 'NOTICED AN RV AIRCRAFT COMING UP ON MY LEFT SIDE. I WAGGED MY WINGS AND HE WAGGED HIS WINGS BACK. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO PASS ME ON MY LEFT, WHEN HE WAS APPROXIMATELY AT MY 11 O'CLOCK (POSITION), HE EXECUTED A ROLL TO THE LEFT. AT THE INVERTED STAGE OF THE ROLL THE AIRCRAFT DOVE STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND' (FROM AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 750 AGL). AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AND REPORTED THAT A CONTROL SYSTEM CHECK REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL DISCONNECT OR MALFUNCTION. A DEPUTY FROM THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WHO INTERVIEWED THE PILOT'S WIFE, REPORTED THAT SHE HAD TOLD HIM THAT 'HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN HAVE(ING) REAL BAD MIGRAINE HEADACHES THAT WOULD LEAVE HIM INCAPACITATED.' SHE ALSO TOLD THE DEPUTY THAT 'HE WOULD BLACKOUT, AND GET TUNNEL VISION' AND THAT 'SOMETIMES THEY (THE MIGRAINES) WOULD GET SO BAD, HE COULD NOT TALK.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.