What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 12, 2005, the pilot stated that he was giving another student pilot a familiarization ride in his two-seat ferguson experimental aircraft, when it crashed. The aircraft departed from crystal village airpark, chipley, Florida, on runway N21 with all the flight and engine controls operating normally. The aircraft ascended through 300' AGL when the engine RPM started fading gradually (from 6100 to 5800). The pilot initiated a thirty degree left turn and started looking for a safe place to land. The intended landing zone was an area south of runway N21; however, the aircraft's rate of descent was too fast. The aircraft did not have sufficient power and altitude to climb above the trees and power lines directly in its line of flight. The left wing of the aircraft struck a pine tree at fifty feet above the ground, which caused the aircraft to go inverted. The aircraft tail section struck the power lines parallel of hwy 77, Washington county, Florida and impacted the terrain. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 12, 2005, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS GIVING ANOTHER STUDENT PILOT A FAMILIARIZATION RIDE IN HIS TWO-SEAT FERGUSON EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, WHEN IT CRASHED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM CRYSTAL VILLAGE AIRPARK, CHIPLEY, FLORIDA, ON RUNWAY N21 WITH ALL THE FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE AIRCRAFT ASCENDED THROUGH 300' AGL WHEN THE ENGINE RPM STARTED FADING GRADUALLY (FROM 6100 TO 5800). THE PILOT INITIATED A THIRTY DEGREE LEFT TURN AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A SAFE PLACE TO LAND. THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE WAS AN AREA SOUTH OF RUNWAY N21; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT'S RATE OF DESCENT WAS TOO FAST. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT POWER AND ALTITUDE TO CLIMB ABOVE THE TREES AND POWER LINES DIRECTLY IN ITS LINE OF FLIGHT. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A PINE TREE AT FIFTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO GO INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT TAIL SECTION STRUCK THE POWER LINES PARALLEL OF HWY 77, WASHINGTON COUNTY, FLORIDA AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.