What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 11, 1999, at 1040 mountain daylight time, a walkins christen eagle, N24JT, was destroyed following impact with water near Brigham City, Utah. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated by the owner/pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which originated from ogden-hinckley airport, ogden, Utah, 21 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The pilot's wife reported him missing, and a search by local authorities located the airplane at approximately 1030 on October 13, 1999. The airplane was found approximately 5 statute miles east of the promontory peninsula, in the great salt lake, in 4 to 5 feet of water. (.4) the pilot departed for his usual 20 minute aerobatic routine. Radar data indicates that after 8 minutes of aerobatics, the pilot turned to a heading of approximately 120 degrees to return home. Two minutes later, the airplane entered a descending right hand turn, descended 2,000 feet, and impacted the water on a heading of 220 degrees. The pilot was within good radio communication range of several FAA ATC organizations, but no communication from the pilot was heard. The airplane's canopy was equipped with a quick release for emergency airborne jettisoning. The pilot was found wearing a parachute. The pilot's wife said that during the previous year, the 78 year old pilot had been rendered unconscious on two separate occasions by blows to his head. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 11, 1999, AT 1040 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A WALKINS CHRISTEN EAGLE, N24JT, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH WATER NEAR BRIGHAM CITY, UTAH. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM OGDEN-HINCKLEY AIRPORT, OGDEN, UTAH, 21 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT'S WIFE REPORTED HIM MISSING, AND A SEARCH BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES LOCATED THE AIRPLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 ON OCTOBER 13, 1999. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 5 STATUTE MILES EAST OF THE PROMONTORY PENINSULA, IN THE GREAT SALT LAKE, IN 4 TO 5 FEET OF WATER. (.4) THE PILOT DEPARTED FOR HIS USUAL 20 MINUTE AEROBATIC ROUTINE. RADAR DATA INDICATES THAT AFTER 8 MINUTES OF AEROBATICS, THE PILOT TURNED TO A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES TO RETURN HOME. TWO MINUTES LATER, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DESCENDING RIGHT HAND TURN, DESCENDED 2,000 FEET, AND IMPACTED THE WATER ON A HEADING OF 220 DEGREES. THE PILOT WAS WITHIN GOOD RADIO COMMUNICATION RANGE OF SEVERAL FAA ATC ORGANIZATIONS, BUT NO COMMUNICATION FROM THE PILOT WAS HEARD. THE AIRPLANE'S CANOPY WAS EQUIPPED WITH A QUICK RELEASE FOR EMERGENCY AIRBORNE JETTISONING. THE PILOT WAS FOUND WEARING A PARACHUTE. THE PILOT'S WIFE SAID THAT DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE 78 YEAR OLD PILOT HAD BEEN RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS BY BLOWS TO HIS HEAD. NO PREIMPACT ENGINE OR AIRFRAME ANOMALIES, WHICH MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE, WERE IDENTIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.