What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witnesses said that the acft banked to the left, spiraled in, crashed, and caught fire, the pilot/sole occupant suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed, other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on June 6, 1999, about 1446 hours pacific daylight time, a homebuilt experimental blanco sea Hawker, N2485, operated by the owner/builder/pilot, was destroyed after colliding with terrain near Yucca Valley, California. The private pilot, and sole occupant, operating under 14 CFR part 91 was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight reportedly originated at hemet, California, at an undetermined time, and was destined for an unknown destination in Utah. According to witnesses, the aircraft was northbound when it suddenly made a sharp left turn followed by a descending spiral turn into the terrain. (.4)the owner/builder/pilot of a homebuilt experimental amphibian departed for a personal cross-country flight. About 32 minutes after departure the airplane was observed by witnesses flying north along a ridgeline in a desert area. The airplane made a sudden tight turn to the left and descended into the ground. A postaccident fire consumed the airframe and all engine accessories. One of four carbon fiber propeller blades was found separated from the propeller hub and free of impact damage. The other three blades were fire damaged. A detailed examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical failure. A sheriff's helicopter pilot reported 'very turbulent and very rough' air above 100 feet AGL. The density altitude was about 6,180 feet MSL. (-23)LAX99LA209
As the FAA filed it
WITNESSES SAID THAT THE ACFT BANKED TO THE LEFT, SPIRALED IN, CRASHED, AND CAUGHT FIRE, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 6, 1999, ABOUT 1446 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL BLANCO SEA HAWKER, N2485, OPERATED BY THE OWNER/BUILDER/PILOT, WAS DESTROYED AFTER COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN NEAR YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, AND SOLE OCCUPANT, OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT REPORTEDLY ORIGINATED AT HEMET, CALIFORNIA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME, AND WAS DESTINED FOR AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION IN UTAH. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NORTHBOUND WHEN IT SUDDENLY MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN FOLLOWED BY A DESCENDING SPIRAL TURN INTO THE TERRAIN. (.4)THE OWNER/BUILDER/PILOT OF A HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL AMPHIBIAN DEPARTED FOR A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ABOUT 32 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES FLYING NORTH ALONG A RIDGELINE IN A DESERT AREA. THE AIRPLANE MADE A SUDDEN TIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. A POSTACCIDENT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRFRAME AND ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES. ONE OF FOUR CARBON FIBER PROPELLER BLADES WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER HUB AND FREE OF IMPACT DAMAGE. THE OTHER THREE BLADES WERE FIRE DAMAGED. A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE. A SHERIFF'S HELICOPTER PILOT REPORTED 'VERY TURBULENT AND VERY ROUGH' AIR ABOVE 100 FEET AGL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 6,180 FEET MSL. (-23)LAX99LA209
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.