What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unkn circumstances, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed. Trinity Center, CA. (From .4) the aircraft impacted trees and terrain in a mountainous area about 30 minutes after takeoff. The wreckage was located in a rocky streambed about 35 feet wide which was surrounded by trees. The trees were approximately 50 feet high and came right up to the edge of the creek. There were tree limbs broken off a tree near the top just above and about 10 feet southeast of the impact site. There were no signs of disturbance on an of the other trees around the creek. The creek parallels a road which proceeds to a mountain pass about 2 miles to the north of the site. The debris was contained to an area within a few feet of the aircraft. The flaps were found set in the full-down position at 30 degrees. The fuel tanks were ruptured, but there was evidence of fuel found in the carburetor. The engine could not be turned due to extensive damage; however, no mechanical anomalies were found during disassembly. No discrepancies were found in any airframe system. The density altitude was calculated to be about 7,100 feet.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKN CIRCUMSTANCES, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. TRINITY CENTER, CA. (FROM .4) THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A ROCKY STREAMBED ABOUT 35 FEET WIDE WHICH WAS SURROUNDED BY TREES. THE TREES WERE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET HIGH AND CAME RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE CREEK. THERE WERE TREE LIMBS BROKEN OFF A TREE NEAR THE TOP JUST ABOVE AND ABOUT 10 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE IMPACT SITE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DISTURBANCE ON AN OF THE OTHER TREES AROUND THE CREEK. THE CREEK PARALLELS A ROAD WHICH PROCEEDS TO A MOUNTAIN PASS ABOUT 2 MILES TO THE NORTH OF THE SITE. THE DEBRIS WAS CONTAINED TO AN AREA WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND SET IN THE FULL-DOWN POSITION AT 30 DEGREES. THE FUEL TANKS WERE RUPTURED, BUT THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE TURNED DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE; HOWEVER, NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND DURING DISASSEMBLY. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND IN ANY AIRFRAME SYSTEM. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 7,100 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.