What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was circling a small valley showing his passengers a waterfall. On the upwind side of the valley, he experienced a down draft and was unable to rocover lost altitude. Aircraft impacted the ground at about 800 ft MSL on the east side of the valley. The right wing struck the trees which severed the outboard wing. Aircraft rolled to the right, passed through several trees, the nose hit the ground, slid laterally and landed upside down with the tail section breaking off and laying backwards across the bottom of the fuselage. The fuselage came to rest 90 degrees from the direction of flight path. Pilot was fatally injured. 2 passengers received minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS CIRCLING A SMALL VALLEY SHOWING HIS PASSENGERS A WATERFALL. ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE VALLEY, HE EXPERIENCED A DOWN DRAFT AND WAS UNABLE TO ROCOVER LOST ALTITUDE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT ABOUT 800 FT MSL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE TREES WHICH SEVERED THE OUTBOARD WING. AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, PASSED THROUGH SEVERAL TREES, THE NOSE HIT THE GROUND, SLID LATERALLY AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE TAIL SECTION BREAKING OFF AND LAYING BACKWARDS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST 90 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT PATH. PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. 2 PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N693U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.