What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On dec. 12, 2000, at 1000 hours PST, a Cessna 182P, N182ER, descended into flat desert terrain near the fox field airport, Lancaster, CA as the airplane was manuevering to enter the traffic pattern. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated by the CA dept. Of justice as a public use flight under 14 CFR part 91 at the time of the accident. The flight originated from fresno airport, fresno, CA. At 0852 PST. VMC prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a steep, nose down attitude at a rapidly increasing rate of descent. The airplane maintained a perpendicular, nose down attitude until they lost sightof the airplane behind low scrub brush. Inspection of the crash site revealed all flight control surfaces, wings, and empennage and all had experienced fore to aft accordion crushing. A pilot who was departing in the opposite direction of the approaching airplane reported that conditions were "bumpy" but not bad".
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DEC. 12, 2000, AT 1000 HOURS PST, A CESSNA 182P, N182ER, DESCENDED INTO FLAT DESERT TERRAIN NEAR THE FOX FIELD AIRPORT, LANCASTER, CA AS THE AIRPLANE WAS MANUEVERING TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE CA DEPT. OF JUSTICE AS A PUBLIC USE FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FRESNO AIRPORT, FRESNO, CA. AT 0852 PST. VMC PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT A RAPIDLY INCREASING RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED A PERPENDICULAR, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL THEY LOST SIGHTOF THE AIRPLANE BEHIND LOW SCRUB BRUSH. INSPECTION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES, WINGS, AND EMPENNAGE AND ALL HAD EXPERIENCED FORE TO AFT ACCORDION CRUSHING. A PILOT WHO WAS DEPARTING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE APPROACHING AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT CONDITIONS WERE "BUMPY" BUT NOT BAD".
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.