What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed and burned under unknown circumstances, the pilot/sole occupant suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed. (From .19) on July 10, 1999, approximately 1520 pacific daylight time, a vans RV-8 homebuilt aircraft, N41VA, constructed by/registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent preceded by an in-flight fire during descent one nautical mile north of Lafayette, Oregon. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been activated. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from arlington, Washington, earlier on the date of the accident. A fuel stop had been made at scappoose, Oregon, approximately 1445 hours. Witnesses reported observing the aircraft eastbound and in a shallow descent approximately 200-300 feet above ground trailing black smoke. One witness reported observing flames coming from the aircraft and the pilot exiting the aircraft. The aircraft was observed to execute a right spiraling descent, impacting the ground in a near vertical attitude. The pilot was found several hundre d yards north of the aircraft's ground impact site. A post-crash fire consumed much of the aircraft. (-23)a/c experienced in flight fire. Pilot was observed by witness to be exiting a/c at approx. 200-300 feet. The pilot was fatally injured. A post-crash investigation revealed evidence of fire coming from engine compartment. The left wheel ferring was scorched on one side giving more evidence of pre-impact fire. Further investigation revealed partial engine failure prior to inflight fire.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED AND BURNED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (FROM .19) ON JULY 10, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1520 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A VANS RV-8 HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT, N41VA, CONSTRUCTED BY/REGISTERED TO AND BEING FLOWN BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT PRECEDED BY AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE DURING DESCENT ONE NAUTICAL MILE NORTH OF LAFAYETTE, OREGON. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS PERSONAL, WAS TO HAVE BEEN OPERATED UNDER 14CFR91, AND ORIGINATED FROM ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON, EARLIER ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. A FUEL STOP HAD BEEN MADE AT SCAPPOOSE, OREGON, APPROXIMATELY 1445 HOURS. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT EASTBOUND AND IN A SHALLOW DESCENT APPROXIMATELY 200-300 FEET ABOVE GROUND TRAILING BLACK SMOKE. ONE WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING FLAMES COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO EXECUTE A RIGHT SPIRALING DESCENT, IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS FOUND SEVERAL HUNDRE D YARDS NORTH OF THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUND IMPACT SITE. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MUCH OF THE AIRCRAFT. (-23)A/C EXPERIENCED IN FLIGHT FIRE. PILOT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESS TO BE EXITING A/C AT APPROX. 200-300 FEET. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. A POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF FIRE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LEFT WHEEL FERRING WAS SCORCHED ON ONE SIDE GIVING MORE EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FIRE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED PARTIAL ENGINE FAILURE PRIOR TO INFLIGHT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.