What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Witnesses at a school and a city facility adjacent to the accident site reported that the airplane initially flew over the area at low altitude and low speed then left the area to the north for a few minutes. One of the witnesses, a teacher, reported that the airplane flew right over her and a group of children on the playground behind the school before heading out of sight. When the airplane returned a few minutes later, it was heading south at low altitude and at a low power setting. It then began a left turn and circled the area. As it was turning back to the north, the airplane crashed into an open sports field behind the school and bounced once before coming to rest on a fence about 100 feet past the initial (left main gear and left wing tip) impact point. The pilot was hospitalized for several weeks and later interviewed by telephone. He did not recall exactly what happened, but reported to the NTSB iic that he did not experience any mechanical problems. Post-crash examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any mechanical problems. A subsequent attempt to test run the engine was successful. The pilot did not report his total time in this aircraft model. (-23 amendment) witnesses at a school and a facility adjacent to the accident site reported that the airplane initially flew over the area at low altitude and low speed then left the area to the north for a few minutes. One witness, a teacher's aide, reported that the airplane flew almost directly over her and a group of children on the playground behind the school before heading out of sight. When it returned a few minutes later, it was heading south at low altitude & a low power setting, then began a left turn. As it turned, the airplane descended and crashed into a sports field behind the school, and bounced once before coming to rest about 100 feet past the initial impact point. The reported temp and dew point at the time were 26 and 21 deg. C respectively. The pilot was hospitalized with serious injuries for several weeks and later interviewed by phone. He did not recall exactly what happened, but stated that he did not have any mechanical problems. Post-crash exam of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical problems. A subsequent attempt to test run the engine demonstrated that the engine could develop sufficient power to maintain level flight. The airplane was 3 weeks past due for an annual inspection.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WITNESSES AT A SCHOOL AND A CITY FACILITY ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY FLEW OVER THE AREA AT LOW ALTITUDE AND LOW SPEED THEN LEFT THE AREA TO THE NORTH FOR A FEW MINUTES. ONE OF THE WITNESSES, A TEACHER, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLEW RIGHT OVER HER AND A GROUP OF CHILDREN ON THE PLAYGROUND BEHIND THE SCHOOL BEFORE HEADING OUT OF SIGHT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE RETURNED A FEW MINUTES LATER, IT WAS HEADING SOUTH AT LOW ALTITUDE AND AT A LOW POWER SETTING. IT THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND CIRCLED THE AREA. AS IT WAS TURNING BACK TO THE NORTH, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO AN OPEN SPORTS FIELD BEHIND THE SCHOOL AND BOUNCED ONCE BEFORE COMING TO REST ON A FENCE ABOUT 100 FEET PAST THE INITIAL (LEFT MAIN GEAR AND LEFT WING TIP) IMPACT POINT. THE PILOT WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND LATER INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE. HE DID NOT RECALL EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, BUT REPORTED TO THE NTSB IIC THAT HE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. A SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPT TO TEST RUN THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT HIS TOTAL TIME IN THIS AIRCRAFT MODEL. (-23 AMENDMENT) WITNESSES AT A SCHOOL AND A FACILITY ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY FLEW OVER THE AREA AT LOW ALTITUDE AND LOW SPEED THEN LEFT THE AREA TO THE NORTH FOR A FEW MINUTES. ONE WITNESS, A TEACHER'S AIDE, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLEW ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER HER AND A GROUP OF CHILDREN ON THE PLAYGROUND BEHIND THE SCHOOL BEFORE HEADING OUT OF SIGHT. WHEN IT RETURNED A FEW MINUTES LATER, IT WAS HEADING SOUTH AT LOW ALTITUDE & A LOW POWER SETTING, THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURN. AS IT TURNED, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AND CRASHED INTO A SPORTS FIELD BEHIND THE SCHOOL, AND BOUNCED ONCE BEFORE COMING TO REST ABOUT 100 FEET PAST THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE REPORTED TEMP AND DEW POINT AT THE TIME WERE 26 AND 21 DEG. C RESPECTIVELY. THE PILOT WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND LATER INTERVIEWED BY PHONE. HE DID NOT RECALL EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, BUT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. A SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPT TO TEST RUN THE ENGINE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE ENGINE COULD DEVELOP SUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS 3 WEEKS PAST DUE FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.