What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was observed flying up the center of a steep walled canyon approximately 400 feet below the rim. And 200 to 300 feet above the canyon floor aircraft attempted to turn around, nose raised, left wing abruptly lowered and ballistic emergency recovery system parachute deployed while engine was still running. Parachute did not inflate but remained stremered trailing behind the aircraft. Parachute main riser failed 4 feet from the aircraft, supposed cut by propeller, aircraft crashed inverted into rocks and steep lower slope of canyon. Post crash fire and an explosion 2-3 minutes after impact. Parachute landed 82 feet away from the wreckage. Pilot did not comply with manufacturers warning that the engine must be shut off prior to deploying parachute. (.19) on September 22, 2002, at approximately 1530 mountain standard time, a sabian ran S12-XL homebuilt, N725ST, was destroyed following impact with terrain while maneuvering near mexican hat, Utah. The private pilot and his private pilot rated passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorologic al conditions prevailed for the cross-country personal flight that originated from blanding, Utah, approximately 1 hour 25 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. Witnesses observed the airplane flying up a small canyon and make a "tight" u-turn. They said that a parachute was deployed from the airplane, and it fell to the ground. The postimpact fire consumed the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING UP THE CENTER OF A STEEP WALLED CANYON APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET BELOW THE RIM. AND 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE THE CANYON FLOOR AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO TURN AROUND, NOSE RAISED, LEFT WING ABRUPTLY LOWERED AND BALLISTIC EMERGENCY RECOVERY SYSTEM PARACHUTE DEPLOYED WHILE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. PARACHUTE DID NOT INFLATE BUT REMAINED STREMERED TRAILING BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT. PARACHUTE MAIN RISER FAILED 4 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SUPPOSED CUT BY PROPELLER, AIRCRAFT CRASHED INVERTED INTO ROCKS AND STEEP LOWER SLOPE OF CANYON. POST CRASH FIRE AND AN EXPLOSION 2-3 MINUTES AFTER IMPACT. PARACHUTE LANDED 82 FEET AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE. PILOT DID NOT COMPLY WITH MANUFACTURERS WARNING THAT THE ENGINE MUST BE SHUT OFF PRIOR TO DEPLOYING PARACHUTE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A SABIAN RAN S12-XL HOMEBUILT, N725ST, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR MEXICAN HAT, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PRIVATE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE BOTH FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGIC AL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM BLANDING, UTAH, APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING UP A SMALL CANYON AND MAKE A "TIGHT" U-TURN. THEY SAID THAT A PARACHUTE WAS DEPLOYED FROM THE AIRPLANE, AND IT FELL TO THE GROUND. THE POSTIMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.