What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was on a pleasure flight on a clear calm day. Sightseeing was being conducted according to pilot statement. Witness statements describe the aircraft flight path as extremely low, from tree tops to 20 to 30 feet above, in level flight with low steady engine power (idle). Aircraft initiated a turn directly over a eyewitness's home 1/10 mile of a mile from the accident scene and within seconds came into contact with a power line. The aircraft contacted the ground tumbling at least once end for end before coming to rest on top of several large round hay bales. The engine and various components were separated from the fuselage but in a direct line from the power line strike to the crash site. Fuel was observed by eyewitness accounts running from the ruptured wings. On site investigation revealed control surface continuity, and switch/control position consistent with flight. The onboard ballistic parachute system had not been deployed. Followup aircraft investigation verified control surface continuity, fuel system and engine controls function all normal. The aircraft engine was run from idle to full power without anomaly when set up on test stand.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT ON A CLEAR CALM DAY. SIGHTSEEING WAS BEING CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO PILOT STATEMENT. WITNESS STATEMENTS DESCRIBE THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PATH AS EXTREMELY LOW, FROM TREE TOPS TO 20 TO 30 FEET ABOVE, IN LEVEL FLIGHT WITH LOW STEADY ENGINE POWER (IDLE). AIRCRAFT INITIATED A TURN DIRECTLY OVER A EYEWITNESS'S HOME 1/10 MILE OF A MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND WITHIN SECONDS CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A POWER LINE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND TUMBLING AT LEAST ONCE END FOR END BEFORE COMING TO REST ON TOP OF SEVERAL LARGE ROUND HAY BALES. THE ENGINE AND VARIOUS COMPONENTS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE BUT IN A DIRECT LINE FROM THE POWER LINE STRIKE TO THE CRASH SITE. FUEL WAS OBSERVED BY EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS RUNNING FROM THE RUPTURED WINGS. ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED CONTROL SURFACE CONTINUITY, AND SWITCH/CONTROL POSITION CONSISTENT WITH FLIGHT. THE ONBOARD BALLISTIC PARACHUTE SYSTEM HAD NOT BEEN DEPLOYED. FOLLOWUP AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATION VERIFIED CONTROL SURFACE CONTINUITY, FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE CONTROLS FUNCTION ALL NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUN FROM IDLE TO FULL POWER WITHOUT ANOMALY WHEN SET UP ON TEST STAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.