What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot rented aircraft from valley aviation in winchester, VA for a 3-hour period. The 45-year old pilot took along his 16 year old son on an apparent sightseeing flight to the Harrisonburg, VA area. He was observed to be flying at a relatively low level across a relative's farm (close enough for the relative to recognize the occupants' faces). There was no pre-arrangment for any flying to be done over that farm according to the relative. After a level pass over the farm the aircraft was observed to turn around and head back to the farm at the same altitude. Several witnesses reported that the aircraft then had an increase in engine sound, followed by a sputterin, then silence. At this time witnesses reported the aircraft to dive straight down at the ground. The impact site was within 100 feet of the relative's farmhouse. The aircraft struck with power off (propeller stopped) in a stall-spin and bound backwards from the impact point about 10 feet. No fire ensued. No smell of fuel was evident during the initial response or the subsequent investigation. The magnetos were on, the ELT had activated, and the carb heat knob was pinched in the off position. A clean fuel sample was drained from the 10-GAL upper tank.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT RENTED AIRCRAFT FROM VALLEY AVIATION IN WINCHESTER, VA FOR A 3-HOUR PERIOD. THE 45-YEAR OLD PILOT TOOK ALONG HIS 16 YEAR OLD SON ON AN APPARENT SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT TO THE HARRISONBURG, VA AREA. HE WAS OBSERVED TO BE FLYING AT A RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL ACROSS A RELATIVE'S FARM (CLOSE ENOUGH FOR THE RELATIVE TO RECOGNIZE THE OCCUPANTS' FACES). THERE WAS NO PRE-ARRANGMENT FOR ANY FLYING TO BE DONE OVER THAT FARM ACCORDING TO THE RELATIVE. AFTER A LEVEL PASS OVER THE FARM THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO THE FARM AT THE SAME ALTITUDE. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT THEN HAD AN INCREASE IN ENGINE SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A SPUTTERIN, THEN SILENCE. AT THIS TIME WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT TO DIVE STRAIGHT DOWN AT THE GROUND. THE IMPACT SITE WAS WITHIN 100 FEET OF THE RELATIVE'S FARMHOUSE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK WITH POWER OFF (PROPELLER STOPPED) IN A STALL-SPIN AND BOUND BACKWARDS FROM THE IMPACT POINT ABOUT 10 FEET. NO FIRE ENSUED. NO SMELL OF FUEL WAS EVIDENT DURING THE INITIAL RESPONSE OR THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION. THE MAGNETOS WERE ON, THE ELT HAD ACTIVATED, AND THE CARB HEAT KNOB WAS PINCHED IN THE OFF POSITION. A CLEAN FUEL SAMPLE WAS DRAINED FROM THE 10-GAL UPPER TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.