What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was in a right turn and could not get out of it, pilot shut off engine and acft went down, little rock, AR. (-23) the pilot stated to individuals responding on the accident scene that the airplane entered a steep right turn from which he was unable to recover. He elected to shut the engine off in order to attempt a recovery. Prior to the flight the pilot cut 6 inches from the pitot tube in an effort to correct air speed inaccuracies. The pilot later informed his wife that he thought he heard the left strut snap. A post-crash investigation did not reveal structural or control failure. (.4)the pilot told individuals responding to the accident site that the airplane 'entered a steep right turn from which he was unable to pull the airplane out, so he elected to shut the engine off in order to attempt to get out of it.' The FAA inspector that responded to the accident site stated that physical evidence indicated that the airplane impacted the muddy field in a left turn in a nose down attitude. The pilot's wife reported that the pilot elected to execute a short flight to verify the accuracy of the airspeed indicator. The pilot's wife further reported that she was observing the airplane over the airport at approximately 150 feet above the ground. The airplane 'suddenly rolled into a 50 degree bank to the right' as she continued to observe the airplane enter a right spiraling turn until impact with the ground. The pilot told his wife that prior to his loss of control, 'he thought he heard the left wing strut snap.' Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector did not revealed any pre-existing anomalies or discontinuities that would have prevented normal operation of the homebuilt airplane. The reason for the loss of control could not be determined.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS IN A RIGHT TURN AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF IT, PILOT SHUT OFF ENGINE AND ACFT WENT DOWN, LITTLE ROCK, AR. (-23) THE PILOT STATED TO INDIVIDUALS RESPONDING ON THE ACCIDENT SCENE THAT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP RIGHT TURN FROM WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. HE ELECTED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT A RECOVERY. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT CUT 6 INCHES FROM THE PITOT TUBE IN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT AIR SPEED INACCURACIES. THE PILOT LATER INFORMED HIS WIFE THAT HE THOUGHT HE HEARD THE LEFT STRUT SNAP. A POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL STRUCTURAL OR CONTROL FAILURE. (.4)THE PILOT TOLD INDIVIDUALS RESPONDING TO THE ACCIDENT SITE THAT THE AIRPLANE 'ENTERED A STEEP RIGHT TURN FROM WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO PULL THE AIRPLANE OUT, SO HE ELECTED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF IT.' THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE MUDDY FIELD IN A LEFT TURN IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PILOT'S WIFE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE A SHORT FLIGHT TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR. THE PILOT'S WIFE FURTHER REPORTED THAT SHE WAS OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE OVER THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE 'SUDDENLY ROLLED INTO A 50 DEGREE BANK TO THE RIGHT' AS SHE CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE AIRPLANE ENTER A RIGHT SPIRALING TURN UNTIL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT TOLD HIS WIFE THAT PRIOR TO HIS LOSS OF CONTROL, 'HE THOUGHT HE HEARD THE LEFT WING STRUT SNAP.' EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR DID NOT REVEALED ANY PRE-EXISTING ANOMALIES OR DISCONTINUITIES THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF CONTROL COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.