What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The ATP rated pilot had completed an air-to-air photo mission after participating in a large airshow and had requested a low pass down the runway to be followed by a landing. Several eyewitnesses said the FM-2 "wildcat" had done a right 360 turn while on final approach to allow spacing with a slower aircraft ahead and was beginning a second 360 turn to the left when the tower controller asked if he could make the turn to the right instead to avoid other airspace at hou. One eyewitness said the wildcat's diameter of turn at that time was approximately 1/4 mile. After the pilot reversed the direction of turn from left to right (according to several eyewitnesses) the FM-2 began pitching nose up, rolled to the right and stalled. Evidence at the crash site shows the aircraft missed the 32 foot power lines that were on a 40 degree angle from the first impact scar and the main wreckage traveled only 40 feet from the initial impact crater. There was a considerable amount of gasoline and oil at the crash site, but there was no fire. At the time of impact, the landing gear was in the up position and the flaps were retracted. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed. (-23 amendment) amended: item 22 on page one, is changed from "airshow" to "personal". Although N681S had earlier that same day been participating in the "2003 wings over Houston" airshow, at the time of this aircraft accident the airshow was officially over and control of the waivered airspace had been officially returned to ATC. Several officials of the 2003 wings over Houston executive committee said that N681S was returning for landing after participating in a "post airshow" photo flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE ATP RATED PILOT HAD COMPLETED AN AIR-TO-AIR PHOTO MISSION AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A LARGE AIRSHOW AND HAD REQUESTED A LOW PASS DOWN THE RUNWAY TO BE FOLLOWED BY A LANDING. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES SAID THE FM-2 "WILDCAT" HAD DONE A RIGHT 360 TURN WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO ALLOW SPACING WITH A SLOWER AIRCRAFT AHEAD AND WAS BEGINNING A SECOND 360 TURN TO THE LEFT WHEN THE TOWER CONTROLLER ASKED IF HE COULD MAKE THE TURN TO THE RIGHT INSTEAD TO AVOID OTHER AIRSPACE AT HOU. ONE EYEWITNESS SAID THE WILDCAT'S DIAMETER OF TURN AT THAT TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE. AFTER THE PILOT REVERSED THE DIRECTION OF TURN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT (ACCORDING TO SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES) THE FM-2 BEGAN PITCHING NOSE UP, ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND STALLED. EVIDENCE AT THE CRASH SITE SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT MISSED THE 32 FOOT POWER LINES THAT WERE ON A 40 DEGREE ANGLE FROM THE FIRST IMPACT SCAR AND THE MAIN WRECKAGE TRAVELED ONLY 40 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT CRATER. THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE AND OIL AT THE CRASH SITE, BUT THERE WAS NO FIRE. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE UP POSITION AND THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. (-23 AMENDMENT) AMENDED: ITEM 22 ON PAGE ONE, IS CHANGED FROM "AIRSHOW" TO "PERSONAL". ALTHOUGH N681S HAD EARLIER THAT SAME DAY BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THE "2003 WINGS OVER HOUSTON" AIRSHOW, AT THE TIME OF THIS AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT THE AIRSHOW WAS OFFICIALLY OVER AND CONTROL OF THE WAIVERED AIRSPACE HAD BEEN OFFICIALLY RETURNED TO ATC. SEVERAL OFFICIALS OF THE 2003 WINGS OVER HOUSTON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SAID THAT N681S WAS RETURNING FOR LANDING AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A "POST AIRSHOW" PHOTO FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.