What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances, 2 POB suffered fatal inj acft has unknown damage, Kettle Falls, WA. (-23) after photo flight buzzed ground crew, attempted a roll. Struck water. Broke up and sank. (.4) witnesses described the airplane performing maneuvers that were described as aerobatic prior to impact about 35 degrees nose down, and provided a photograph taken shortly before the accident of the airplane in an inverted attitude. This airplane is not approved for aerobatic maneuvers. The fuselage, engine and propeller, and one wing were recovered from 90 feet of water for inspection by FAA inspectors. Records indicated that this airplane had recently had structural repairs to the steel tubing structure. Those areas, as well as the rest of the structure and wing and wing-strut attachment points were inspected by FAA inspectors and an NTSB investigator. No evidence was found of pre-impact structural failure of the airplane. (-23) according to witness statements, aircraft was maneuvering after photo mission, "buzzed" the ground crew, attempted a roll and struck water. Aircraft broke-up and sank.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ ACFT HAS UNKNOWN DAMAGE, KETTLE FALLS, WA. (-23) AFTER PHOTO FLIGHT BUZZED GROUND CREW, ATTEMPTED A ROLL. STRUCK WATER. BROKE UP AND SANK. (.4) WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE PERFORMING MANEUVERS THAT WERE DESCRIBED AS AEROBATIC PRIOR TO IMPACT ABOUT 35 DEGREES NOSE DOWN, AND PROVIDED A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OF THE AIRPLANE IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE. THIS AIRPLANE IS NOT APPROVED FOR AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. THE FUSELAGE, ENGINE AND PROPELLER, AND ONE WING WERE RECOVERED FROM 90 FEET OF WATER FOR INSPECTION BY FAA INSPECTORS. RECORDS INDICATED THAT THIS AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY HAD STRUCTURAL REPAIRS TO THE STEEL TUBING STRUCTURE. THOSE AREAS, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE STRUCTURE AND WING AND WING-STRUT ATTACHMENT POINTS WERE INSPECTED BY FAA INSPECTORS AND AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF PRE-IMPACT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERING AFTER PHOTO MISSION, "BUZZED" THE GROUND CREW, ATTEMPTED A ROLL AND STRUCK WATER. AIRCRAFT BROKE-UP AND SANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N16CB · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.