What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 1, 1999, approximately 1105 mountain daylight time, a wroblewski RV-4 homebuilt, N95PW, was destroyed following an in-flight collision with terrain while maneuvering 6 miles northeast of Bayfield, Colorado. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight was being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. The aircraft departed stevens field, pagosa springs, Colorado, approximately 1030. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to a friend of the pilot, he departed pagosa springs in his airplane, N43FH. N95PW departed the airport shortly after and followed N43FH, as they had previously made arrangements to fly to durango and back as a flight of two. During their return to the airport, N43FH radioed the other aircraft, but received no response. He circled back and located the wreckage of N95PW in a clearing of trees. Several witness reported seeing two aircraft flying in a southerly direction at a low altitude with one airplane trailing the other. The trailing aircraft was reported to be several hundred feet lower than the leading aircraft. Several minutes later, both aircraft returned and made another pass. One witness who was cutting wood 100 yards from the accident site stated that he observed the trailing aircraft perform a barrel roll, immediately followed by a vertical loop. He then observed the airplane diving toward the ground. According to a witnesses who owned property adjacent to the accident site, the airplane did not appear to have enough altitude to be able to recover from the maneuver. (-23) a flight of two home built RV-4 a/c departed pagosa springs, CO. (2V1) on a prearranged flight into the durango, CO. Area. Both a/c carried a passenger in the back seat. The subject a/c was flying a loose trail position approx. 1/4 to 1/2 mile behind and slightly below the lead a/c at the seven o'clock position. A witness on the ground observed the trailing a/c flying level at approx. 500 to 800 ft. altitude when it suddenly rolled inverted and the nose pitched straight down. The a/c appeared to start a recovery but impacted the ground 30-40 degrees below the horizon.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1105 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A WROBLEWSKI RV-4 HOMEBUILT, N95PW, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BAYFIELD, COLORADO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED STEVENS FIELD, PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO, APPROXIMATELY 1030. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. ACCORDING TO A FRIEND OF THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED PAGOSA SPRINGS IN HIS AIRPLANE, N43FH. N95PW DEPARTED THE AIRPORT SHORTLY AFTER AND FOLLOWED N43FH, AS THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO FLY TO DURANGO AND BACK AS A FLIGHT OF TWO. DURING THEIR RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, N43FH RADIOED THE OTHER AIRCRAFT, BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. HE CIRCLED BACK AND LOCATED THE WRECKAGE OF N95PW IN A CLEARING OF TREES. SEVERAL WITNESS REPORTED SEEING TWO AIRCRAFT FLYING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AT A LOW ALTITUDE WITH ONE AIRPLANE TRAILING THE OTHER. THE TRAILING AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO BE SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET LOWER THAN THE LEADING AIRCRAFT. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, BOTH AIRCRAFT RETURNED AND MADE ANOTHER PASS. ONE WITNESS WHO WAS CUTTING WOOD 100 YARDS FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE TRAILING AIRCRAFT PERFORM A BARREL ROLL, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A VERTICAL LOOP. HE THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DIVING TOWARD THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO A WITNESSES WHO OWNED PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE MANEUVER. (-23) A FLIGHT OF TWO HOME BUILT RV-4 A/C DEPARTED PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO. (2V1) ON A PREARRANGED FLIGHT INTO THE DURANGO, CO. AREA. BOTH A/C CARRIED A PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT. THE SUBJECT A/C WAS FLYING A LOOSE TRAIL POSITION APPROX. 1/4 TO 1/2 MILE BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LEAD A/C AT THE SEVEN O'CLOCK POSITION. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND OBSERVED THE TRAILING A/C FLYING LEVEL AT APPROX. 500 TO 800 FT. ALTITUDE WHEN IT SUDDENLY ROLLED INVERTED AND THE NOSE PITCHED STRAIGHT DOWN. THE A/C APPEARED TO START A RECOVERY BUT IMPACTED THE GROUND 30-40 DEGREES BELOW THE HORIZON.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.