What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Demo flight for buyer. Buzzed airport. Vertical pullup. Split s manuever into unrecoverable spin. Exploded. Burned (.4) the pilot/owner of the airplane and a prospective buyer departed on a demonstration flight. The airplane was observed performing several low passes at the departure airport, one of which resulted in a 360 degree roll. During the climb out the airplane was observed to roll inverted and attempt a `split s' just prior to disappearing below tree line. A witness stated she suddenly hear the loud roar of a very close jet powered airplane, looked out the window and observed an airplane flying about 40 feet above ground, `fast and reasonably level.' The airplane then nosed over and crashed. The majority of the wreckage was scattered for about 300 feet on a northerly heading and several parts of the wreckage were consumed by a post crash fire. Two broken limbs were observed atop a 75 foot tall tree, located about 110 feet south of the initial ground impact point. About 90 feet north-northeast of the tree, a smaller tree, about 15 feet tall had numerous broken limbs. The tree line to the east of the wreckage path and the majority of trees in the accident site area were about 50 feet tall or less. (-23) aircraft was observed in a steep climb, then leveled out, rolled inverted, then began a steep descent, recovered level flight at approximately 40' AGL, then pitched down steeply and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
DEMO FLIGHT FOR BUYER. BUZZED AIRPORT. VERTICAL PULLUP. SPLIT S MANUEVER INTO UNRECOVERABLE SPIN. EXPLODED. BURNED (.4) THE PILOT/OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE AND A PROSPECTIVE BUYER DEPARTED ON A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED PERFORMING SEVERAL LOW PASSES AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, ONE OF WHICH RESULTED IN A 360 DEGREE ROLL. DURING THE CLIMB OUT THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ROLL INVERTED AND ATTEMPT A `SPLIT S' JUST PRIOR TO DISAPPEARING BELOW TREE LINE. A WITNESS STATED SHE SUDDENLY HEAR THE LOUD ROAR OF A VERY CLOSE JET POWERED AIRPLANE, LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE FLYING ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE GROUND, `FAST AND REASONABLY LEVEL.' THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED OVER AND CRASHED. THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED FOR ABOUT 300 FEET ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND SEVERAL PARTS OF THE WRECKAGE WERE CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. TWO BROKEN LIMBS WERE OBSERVED ATOP A 75 FOOT TALL TREE, LOCATED ABOUT 110 FEET SOUTH OF THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT POINT. ABOUT 90 FEET NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE TREE, A SMALLER TREE, ABOUT 15 FEET TALL HAD NUMEROUS BROKEN LIMBS. THE TREE LINE TO THE EAST OF THE WRECKAGE PATH AND THE MAJORITY OF TREES IN THE ACCIDENT SITE AREA WERE ABOUT 50 FEET TALL OR LESS. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED IN A STEEP CLIMB, THEN LEVELED OUT, ROLLED INVERTED, THEN BEGAN A STEEP DESCENT, RECOVERED LEVEL FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 40' AGL, THEN PITCHED DOWN STEEPLY AND CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.