What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness stated the aircraft rolled and crashed after a fly-by of the airport. Other circumstances unknown. (.19) on may 31, 1999, at 1320 central daylight time, a g. hornbeck Glasair, N83PG, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted the ground following a witness reported low altitude aerobatic maneuver. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed ulysses, Kansas, exact time unknown. Witnesses reported the airplane made a low pass parallel to runway 09 (2,140' x 60' asphalt) at the Stanton County Municipal Airport, Johnson city, Kansas. The witnesses said the airplane pulled up and began a rolling maneuver. They said the airplane was inverted when it pitched down and flew into the ground at a high rate of speed. (-23) witness reported observing the aircraft performing aerobatics at an estimated altitude of 300 feet AGL prior to its impacting the ground. Visual flight conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No mechanical discrepancies were found by investigators. (.4) witnesses reported that the experime ntal airplane was flying about 200 to 300 feet above the ground when it began a roll-type maneuver. According to the witnesses, the airplane became inverted and then descended vertically into the ground. The on-scene investigation revealed no airframe or flight control anomalies that would prevent flight. The pilot did not possess an FAA statement of aerobatic competency.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED AND CRASHED AFTER A FLY-BY OF THE AIRPORT. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MAY 31, 1999, AT 1320 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A G. HORNBECK GLASAIR, N83PG, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWING A WITNESS REPORTED LOW ALTITUDE AEROBATIC MANEUVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ULYSSES, KANSAS, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE MADE A LOW PASS PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 09 (2,140' X 60' ASPHALT) AT THE STANTON COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, JOHNSON CITY, KANSAS. THE WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE PULLED UP AND BEGAN A ROLLING MANEUVER. THEY SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS INVERTED WHEN IT PITCHED DOWN AND FLEW INTO THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. (-23) WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMING AEROBATICS AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET AGL PRIOR TO ITS IMPACTING THE GROUND. VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND BY INVESTIGATORS. (.4) WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE EXPERIME NTAL AIRPLANE WAS FLYING ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN IT BEGAN A ROLL-TYPE MANEUVER. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE BECAME INVERTED AND THEN DESCENDED VERTICALLY INTO THE GROUND. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO AIRFRAME OR FLIGHT CONTROL ANOMALIES THAT WOULD PREVENT FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT POSSESS AN FAA STATEMENT OF AEROBATIC COMPETENCY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.