What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft shipped from german manufacturer. Acft. Reassembled following shipment. Acft sustained minor damage during shipment. Minor composite repair performed on lower left fuselage, aft of wing trailing edge. Acft. Preflight and all operational checks performed with no discrepancies noted. Acft. Impacted ground wings level, slight nose up, at high rate of speed. Witness at scene stated acft at very low level, in knife edge flight, at high rate of speed. Acft rolled wings level, nose slightly up, just at impact. Acft struck ground and began to break apart. Acft bounced, traveled approx. 40 yards before second impact, nose low. Acft slid approx. 20 yards prior to stopping. Acft struck hard enough to break fuselage aft of instrument panel. Instrument panel rotated counterclockwise 180 degrees, engine rotated another approx. 200 degrees counterclockwise. Engine exhibited indications of high power settings, as evinced by throttle and mixture settins full forward, as well as rotational bending of propeller indicative of high power/high torque. Fuel selector was found in "left" position. Left fuel tank was ruptured, however, indications were fuel present in tank prior to rupture. See attached.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT SHIPPED FROM GERMAN MANUFACTURER. ACFT. REASSEMBLED FOLLOWING SHIPMENT. ACFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING SHIPMENT. MINOR COMPOSITE REPAIR PERFORMED ON LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE, AFT OF WING TRAILING EDGE. ACFT. PREFLIGHT AND ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS PERFORMED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ACFT. IMPACTED GROUND WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHT NOSE UP, AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. WITNESS AT SCENE STATED ACFT AT VERY LOW LEVEL, IN KNIFE EDGE FLIGHT, AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ACFT ROLLED WINGS LEVEL, NOSE SLIGHTLY UP, JUST AT IMPACT. ACFT STRUCK GROUND AND BEGAN TO BREAK APART. ACFT BOUNCED, TRAVELED APPROX. 40 YARDS BEFORE SECOND IMPACT, NOSE LOW. ACFT SLID APPROX. 20 YARDS PRIOR TO STOPPING. ACFT STRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK FUSELAGE AFT OF INSTRUMENT PANEL. INSTRUMENT PANEL ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE 180 DEGREES, ENGINE ROTATED ANOTHER APPROX. 200 DEGREES COUNTERCLOCKWISE. ENGINE EXHIBITED INDICATIONS OF HIGH POWER SETTINGS, AS EVINCED BY THROTTLE AND MIXTURE SETTINS FULL FORWARD, AS WELL AS ROTATIONAL BENDING OF PROPELLER INDICATIVE OF HIGH POWER/HIGH TORQUE. FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN "LEFT" POSITION. LEFT FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED, HOWEVER, INDICATIONS WERE FUEL PRESENT IN TANK PRIOR TO RUPTURE. SEE ATTACHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.