What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After GPS approach became disorientated circiling to land and flew into ground. (.4) the pilot was cleared for a GPS approach. He stated that he was too high to make a good landing, so he opted for a circling approach to another runway. As he turned for the base leg, he lost visual contact and became disoriented. It was a dark night with no moon. The pilot realized that he was in a 70- to 80- degree left bank and returned the airplane to a level attitude, then noticed the ground directly in front of him. The aircraft ran through a barbed wire fence, collided with trees, and slid rearwind to a stop in a high altitude meadow east of the airport. The FAA completed an evaluation of the circling approach procedures and night operations for that airport and did not find any problems. (-23) pilot completed GPS rwy 19 approach, while circling at "night" to rwy 28. Pilot stated he became disoriented which resulted in an unusual attitude, causing him to strike the ground.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER GPS APPROACH BECAME DISORIENTATED CIRCILING TO LAND AND FLEW INTO GROUND. (.4) THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A GPS APPROACH. HE STATED THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH TO MAKE A GOOD LANDING, SO HE OPTED FOR A CIRCLING APPROACH TO ANOTHER RUNWAY. AS HE TURNED FOR THE BASE LEG, HE LOST VISUAL CONTACT AND BECAME DISORIENTED. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT WITH NO MOON. THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WAS IN A 70- TO 80- DEGREE LEFT BANK AND RETURNED THE AIRPLANE TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE, THEN NOTICED THE GROUND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. THE AIRCRAFT RAN THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE, COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND SLID REARWIND TO A STOP IN A HIGH ALTITUDE MEADOW EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE FAA COMPLETED AN EVALUATION OF THE CIRCLING APPROACH PROCEDURES AND NIGHT OPERATIONS FOR THAT AIRPORT AND DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. (-23) PILOT COMPLETED GPS RWY 19 APPROACH, WHILE CIRCLING AT "NIGHT" TO RWY 28. PILOT STATED HE BECAME DISORIENTED WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, CAUSING HIM TO STRIKE THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.