What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed Colorado Springs east airport (A50), Ellicott Colorado and was in the process of performing a low level flight over the Ellicott runway. The aircraft crashed inverted and nose first. There was no post crash fire. One witness stated that approximately two-thirds of the through the roll the airplane flew into the ground at a steep angle. Due to the witness statements it is apparent that an aerobatic maneuver (roll to the right) was the intention of the pilot. There may have been a failure of the aircraft or an error in the pilots' judgment, possibly both contributed to the accident. Post crash investigation revealed that a cold weld attached the elevator control bell crank to the elevator. This weld lacked sufficient penetration and there was evidence of corrosion in the weld area of separation. Documents inspected after the crash show that, a change of ownership had taken place. The aircraft registration form 8050-3 on board the aircraft at the time of the crash does not reflect the change of ownership. (-23 amendment) 09/26/03, amended to include additional data. Engine teardown conducted on August 19, 2003, observed by the NTSB showed no anomalies. The NTSB materials laboratory examined the airplanes elevator horn and interconnect rod. A portion of the elevator horn to interconnect rod-welded segment was fractured along areas of incomplete fusion. An investigation was conducted for what appeared to be an invalid registration for this aircraft. That investigation was closed out as no action. There is no conclusive evidence that the nine areas of responsibility of the federal aviation administration contributed to this accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED COLORADO SPRINGS EAST AIRPORT (A50), ELLICOTT COLORADO AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PERFORMING A LOW LEVEL FLIGHT OVER THE ELLICOTT RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INVERTED AND NOSE FIRST. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE THROUGH THE ROLL THE AIRPLANE FLEW INTO THE GROUND AT A STEEP ANGLE. DUE TO THE WITNESS STATEMENTS IT IS APPARENT THAT AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER (ROLL TO THE RIGHT) WAS THE INTENTION OF THE PILOT. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT OR AN ERROR IN THE PILOTS' JUDGMENT, POSSIBLY BOTH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A COLD WELD ATTACHED THE ELEVATOR CONTROL BELL CRANK TO THE ELEVATOR. THIS WELD LACKED SUFFICIENT PENETRATION AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF CORROSION IN THE WELD AREA OF SEPARATION. DOCUMENTS INSPECTED AFTER THE CRASH SHOW THAT, A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP HAD TAKEN PLACE. THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION FORM 8050-3 ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH DOES NOT REFLECT THE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP. (-23 AMENDMENT) 09/26/03, AMENDED TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL DATA. ENGINE TEARDOWN CONDUCTED ON AUGUST 19, 2003, OBSERVED BY THE NTSB SHOWED NO ANOMALIES. THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY EXAMINED THE AIRPLANES ELEVATOR HORN AND INTERCONNECT ROD. A PORTION OF THE ELEVATOR HORN TO INTERCONNECT ROD-WELDED SEGMENT WAS FRACTURED ALONG AREAS OF INCOMPLETE FUSION. AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED FOR WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN INVALID REGISTRATION FOR THIS AIRCRAFT. THAT INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED OUT AS NO ACTION. THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT THE NINE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION CONTRIBUTED TO THIS 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.