What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on a relocation flight when it crashed under unknown circumstances, the pilot/sole occupant suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed. (.4) the aircraft was being flown from ulysses, Kansas, following maintenance to the aerial spray system. A drilling rig worker, operating at a 96-foot tall temporary oil-drilling rig, located approximately 0.75 miles north of the accident site, said that the airplane came directly at them on a south heading. The worker reported that the altitude of the aircraft was below the height of the rig (96 feet) but above his position approximately 50 feet above ground level. The worker stated that the aircraft banked right to avoid the tower and flew southerly into the fog. The airplane impacted terrain approximately 0.75 miles south of the drilling rig. The weather 50 nautical miles east of the accident site was reported as overcast at 300 feet above ground level. Witnesses estimated the local ceiling to be 180 to 200 feet at the time of the accident. There is no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing. There were no mechanical discrepancies found during the examination of the wreckage that could be associated with a preexisti ng condition. (-23)the a/c departed ulysses, Kansas on a part 91 repositioning flight under marginal visual conditions. There is no evidence the pilot received a weather briefing prior to the flight. Witnesses reported the aircraft was seen maneuvering at less than 100' AGL in foggy conditions just prior to the accident which occurred 1.5 miles north of the Elkhart-Morton County Airport. No mechanical defects were discovered during the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON A RELOCATION FLIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.4) THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN FROM ULYSSES, KANSAS, FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE TO THE AERIAL SPRAY SYSTEM. A DRILLING RIG WORKER, OPERATING AT A 96-FOOT TALL TEMPORARY OIL-DRILLING RIG, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 0.75 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE CAME DIRECTLY AT THEM ON A SOUTH HEADING. THE WORKER REPORTED THAT THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS BELOW THE HEIGHT OF THE RIG (96 FEET) BUT ABOVE HIS POSITION APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE WORKER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BANKED RIGHT TO AVOID THE TOWER AND FLEW SOUTHERLY INTO THE FOG. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 0.75 MILES SOUTH OF THE DRILLING RIG. THE WEATHER 50 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REPORTED AS OVERCAST AT 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. WITNESSES ESTIMATED THE LOCAL CEILING TO BE 180 TO 200 FEET AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH A PREEXISTI NG CONDITION. (-23)THE A/C DEPARTED ULYSSES, KANSAS ON A PART 91 REPOSITIONING FLIGHT UNDER MARGINAL VISUAL CONDITIONS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN MANEUVERING AT LESS THAN 100' AGL IN FOGGY CONDITIONS JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED 1.5 MILES NORTH OF THE ELKHART-MORTON COUNTY AIRPORT. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.