What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On February 12, 2002, about 1630 pacific standard time, an experimental ellenberger Glasair I td, N777WE, impacted terrain in a pasture 6 miles south of Minden, Nevada. The private-certificated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and the amateur-built airplane was destroyed. The local area personal flight was operated by mansberger aircraft, inc., under 14 CFR part 91, and departed from the Minden-tahoe airport about 1600. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. According to the operator, the pilot departed Minden about 1600 and told him his intent was to practice stall maneuvers. When he did not return that evening an alert notice (alnot) was issued. The owner of the property where the accident occurred saw an unidentified object in his pasture the following morning (February 13, 2002); however, he had other pressing business and didn't return to identify the wreckage until the afternoon of that day. An inspector from the federal aviation administration reno flight standards district office responded to the scene. He reported the accident site was in an open pasture, and that the entire airplane was present in the immediate area of the wreckage with no appreciable wreckage distribution. There was no fire. The forward 1/2 of the engine was buried in the soil at a 30- to 45-degree angle. The composite airframe was extensively fractured; however, flight control continuity was established to the cockpit. The left and right wing leading edges exhibited crushing damage aft to the wing spar and there was an impact mark on the surface of the dirt immediately in front of the wing of size and shape consistent with the leading edge shape and span. There were no trees in the immediate area and those in the distance showed no visible evidence of impact. There were no electrical power transmission lines in the proximity. (-23) "experimental Glasair, N777WE, impacted the ground approximately 6 miles south of Minden, Nevada. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately a 45 degree angle. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured and the aircraft destroyed."
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON FEBRUARY 12, 2002, ABOUT 1630 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL ELLENBERGER GLASAIR I TD, N777WE, IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A PASTURE 6 MILES SOUTH OF MINDEN, NEVADA. THE PRIVATE-CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY MANSBERGER AIRCRAFT, INC., UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND DEPARTED FROM THE MINDEN-TAHOE AIRPORT ABOUT 1600. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT DEPARTED MINDEN ABOUT 1600 AND TOLD HIM HIS INTENT WAS TO PRACTICE STALL MANEUVERS. WHEN HE DID NOT RETURN THAT EVENING AN ALERT NOTICE (ALNOT) WAS ISSUED. THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED SAW AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT IN HIS PASTURE THE FOLLOWING MORNING (FEBRUARY 13, 2002); HOWEVER, HE HAD OTHER PRESSING BUSINESS AND DIDN'T RETURN TO IDENTIFY THE WRECKAGE UNTIL THE AFTERNOON OF THAT DAY. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RENO FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. HE REPORTED THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN AN OPEN PASTURE, AND THAT THE ENTIRE AIRPLANE WAS PRESENT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE WRECKAGE WITH NO APPRECIABLE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE FORWARD 1/2 OF THE ENGINE WAS BURIED IN THE SOIL AT A 30- TO 45-DEGREE ANGLE. THE COMPOSITE AIRFRAME WAS EXTENSIVELY FRACTURED; HOWEVER, FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE COCKPIT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING LEADING EDGES EXHIBITED CRUSHING DAMAGE AFT TO THE WING SPAR AND THERE WAS AN IMPACT MARK ON THE SURFACE OF THE DIRT IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE WING OF SIZE AND SHAPE CONSISTENT WITH THE LEADING EDGE SHAPE AND SPAN. THERE WERE NO TREES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND THOSE IN THE DISTANCE SHOWED NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF IMPACT. THERE WERE NO ELECTRICAL POWER TRANSMISSION LINES IN THE PROXIMITY. (-23) "EXPERIMENTAL GLASAIR, N777WE, IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTH OF MINDEN, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N777WE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.