What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 20, 2001, at 1901 hours pacific daylight time, a mcdougall veri eze, N25063, collided with terrain near Palm Springs, California. The private pilot was operating the borrowed airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The personal cross-country flight departed chino, California, about 1830, en route to Palm Springs. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The federal aviation administration accident coordinator examined the accident site. The wreckage covered an area about 200 feet wide and out to a distance of 400 feet from the initial point of impact. The airplane was highly fragmented and the debris field encompassed a wind turbine and its stanchion. The canard was not in the main debris field and not recovered with the main wreckage. A deputy sheriff stated he found the canard about 1/2 mile from the main wreckage on a follow-up search several days after the accident. The initial point of impact was at 34 degrees 54.646 minutes north latitude and 116 degrees 34.893 minutes west longitude. (-23) on July 20, 2001, a mcdougall veri-eze impacted terrain near Palm Springs, CA. The pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The aicraft was destroyed. Subsequent to the investigation, the canard assembly was recovered .8 miles back in the direction of the flight path. Palm Springs weather personnel have reported that during the afternoon of the accident, pireps reported severe vertical wind movement. The vertical weather activity may have induced flutter vibration that may have contributed to the separation of the canard assembly from the fuselage and precipitated the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 20, 2001, AT 1901 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDOUGALL VERI EZE, N25063, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN NEAR PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE BORROWED AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES; THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED CHINO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1830, EN ROUTE TO PALM SPRINGS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACCIDENT COORDINATOR EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE WRECKAGE COVERED AN AREA ABOUT 200 FEET WIDE AND OUT TO A DISTANCE OF 400 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED AND THE DEBRIS FIELD ENCOMPASSED A WIND TURBINE AND ITS STANCHION. THE CANARD WAS NOT IN THE MAIN DEBRIS FIELD AND NOT RECOVERED WITH THE MAIN WRECKAGE. A DEPUTY SHERIFF STATED HE FOUND THE CANARD ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE ON A FOLLOW-UP SEARCH SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS AT 34 DEGREES 54.646 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE AND 116 DEGREES 34.893 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. (-23) ON JULY 20, 2001, A MCDOUGALL VERI-EZE IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR PALM SPRINGS, CA. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AICRAFT WAS DESTROYED. SUBSEQUENT TO THE INVESTIGATION, THE CANARD ASSEMBLY WAS RECOVERED .8 MILES BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FLIGHT PATH. PALM SPRINGS WEATHER PERSONNEL HAVE REPORTED THAT DURING THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT, PIREPS REPORTED SEVERE VERTICAL WIND MOVEMENT. THE VERTICAL WEATHER ACTIVITY MAY HAVE INDUCED FLUTTER VIBRATION THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEPARATION OF THE CANARD ASSEMBLY FROM THE FUSELAGE AND PRECIPITATED THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.