What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 8/2/00 a Piper PA-28R-201 operated by craig gerard moritz (certificate #510480206) departed the Beloit municipal airport (K61) at Beloit, KS sometime between 0630-0640 local. The destination at this time was not known. A witness stated he saw the aircraft fly over Beloit and over the airport later that morning at about 0830 (local). He stated that the aircraft was on a northwest heading over the airport. At approximately 0932 the plane went down in a wheat stubble field approximately 5 miles north of the Beloit airport (K61). The pilot was fatally injured. Mr. Moritz was solo at the time of the accident. (.4) a witness traveling south on Kansas state highway 14 from Beloit, Kansas, said he saw the airplane "flying very low, north of the highway, like the pilot was trying to land. The plane then rose rapidly when it got close to the highway, as if to rise above the power lines. The plane made an abrupt dive and crashed into a field at a sharp angle." Airplane records showed the pilot's last flight in the airplane was on may 1, 1999. Federal aviation administration medical records indicated the pilot's last medical certif icate was issued on August 31, 1994. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 8/2/00 A PIPER PA-28R-201 OPERATED BY CRAIG GERARD MORITZ (CERTIFICATE #510480206) DEPARTED THE BELOIT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (K61) AT BELOIT, KS SOMETIME BETWEEN 0630-0640 LOCAL. THE DESTINATION AT THIS TIME WAS NOT KNOWN. A WITNESS STATED HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVER BELOIT AND OVER THE AIRPORT LATER THAT MORNING AT ABOUT 0830 (LOCAL). HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A NORTHWEST HEADING OVER THE AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 0932 THE PLANE WENT DOWN IN A WHEAT STUBBLE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH OF THE BELOIT AIRPORT (K61). THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. MR. MORITZ WAS SOLO AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) A WITNESS TRAVELING SOUTH ON KANSAS STATE HIGHWAY 14 FROM BELOIT, KANSAS, SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE "FLYING VERY LOW, NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY, LIKE THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO LAND. THE PLANE THEN ROSE RAPIDLY WHEN IT GOT CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY, AS IF TO RISE ABOVE THE POWER LINES. THE PLANE MADE AN ABRUPT DIVE AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD AT A SHARP ANGLE." AIRPLANE RECORDS SHOWED THE PILOT'S LAST FLIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE WAS ON MAY 1, 1999. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RECORDS INDICATED THE PILOT'S LAST MEDICAL CERTIF ICATE WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 31, 1994. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.