What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) According to witnesses at the airport, three of whom are pilots, N109WR, was climbing after takeoff, about 1/2 mile out, when it began a left turn, stalled, and spun to the ground, it burst into flames on impact. Police and fire department arrived within 15 minutes, put out the fire, and pronounced the pilot dead at the scene. Pilot had broken wrists, ankles, and leg, and was burned beyond recognition. Aircraft structure was consumed by fire. It was metal tubing covered by fabric, and all fabric and most of the metal disintegrated. All three carbon fiber propeller blades were broken and thrown away from impact site, propeller hub was shattered and appeared to have been developing power. Another pilot, tom davidson, who was a test pilot in the military, had flown the airplane earlier that day and found it difficult to control yaw and very sensitive to pitch inputs. He cautioned the owner to only taxi, but not to fly it. The owner, Mr. Reitz, inadvertently became airborne on the taxi test, partially lost control right after liftoff, and elected to fly it around the pattern for a landing. He lost control and entered a spin while turning to crosswind. He was unable to recover from the spin.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT, THREE OF WHOM ARE PILOTS, N109WR, WAS CLIMBING AFTER TAKEOFF, ABOUT 1/2 MILE OUT, WHEN IT BEGAN A LEFT TURN, STALLED, AND SPUN TO THE GROUND, IT BURST INTO FLAMES ON IMPACT. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN 15 MINUTES, PUT OUT THE FIRE, AND PRONOUNCED THE PILOT DEAD AT THE SCENE. PILOT HAD BROKEN WRISTS, ANKLES, AND LEG, AND WAS BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION. AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. IT WAS METAL TUBING COVERED BY FABRIC, AND ALL FABRIC AND MOST OF THE METAL DISINTEGRATED. ALL THREE CARBON FIBER PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN AND THROWN AWAY FROM IMPACT SITE, PROPELLER HUB WAS SHATTERED AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING POWER. ANOTHER PILOT, TOM DAVIDSON, WHO WAS A TEST PILOT IN THE MILITARY, HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE EARLIER THAT DAY AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL YAW AND VERY SENSITIVE TO PITCH INPUTS. HE CAUTIONED THE OWNER TO ONLY TAXI, BUT NOT TO FLY IT. THE OWNER, MR. REITZ, INADVERTENTLY BECAME AIRBORNE ON THE TAXI TEST, PARTIALLY LOST CONTROL RIGHT AFTER LIFTOFF, AND ELECTED TO FLY IT AROUND THE PATTERN FOR A LANDING. HE LOST CONTROL AND ENTERED A SPIN WHILE TURNING TO CROSSWIND. HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE SPIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.