What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flew into a mountainside under unknown circumstances. The aircraft impacted the side of a vertical outcropping of rock while performing aerobatic maneuvers. The pilot had told friends that he wanted to perform aviation stunts for other friends. One witness said that the aircraft appeared to have needed approximately 75 to 100 feet of additional altitude in order to complete the maneuver without contacting the ground. Other witnesses said the aircraft completed almost one complete loop before it contacted the terrain at the base of the mountain. The aircraft's engine could be heard throughout the loop. Density altitude was 5,853 feet. (-23) aircraft was flown extremely close to the surrounding terrain. Pilot performed low level aerobatics close to that terrain. The airman executed a loop and at the completion of the maneuver, exited at too low of an altitude and impacted the base of the mountain/natural monument, (cathedral rock).
As the FAA filed it
FLEW INTO A MOUNTAINSIDE UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE SIDE OF A VERTICAL OUTCROPPING OF ROCK WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. THE PILOT HAD TOLD FRIENDS THAT HE WANTED TO PERFORM AVIATION STUNTS FOR OTHER FRIENDS. ONE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE NEEDED APPROXIMATELY 75 TO 100 FEET OF ADDITIONAL ALTITUDE IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE MANEUVER WITHOUT CONTACTING THE GROUND. OTHER WITNESSES SAID THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED ALMOST ONE COMPLETE LOOP BEFORE IT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE COULD BE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE LOOP. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 5,853 FEET. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. PILOT PERFORMED LOW LEVEL AEROBATICS CLOSE TO THAT TERRAIN. THE AIRMAN EXECUTED A LOOP AND AT THE COMPLETION OF THE MANEUVER, EXITED AT TOO LOW OF AN ALTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN/NATURAL MONUMENT, (CATHEDRAL ROCK).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.