What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The private rated pilot and one passenger departed Loveland Fort Collins airport, runway 33, at approximately 9:05 am in a homebuilt aircraft constructed by the pilot. Weather conditions were VMC. Witnesses reported the aircraft made a sudden steep left bank to a southernly direction and that they did not think the engine was running. The aircraft was then reported in a wings level position and diving at a 45 to 60 degree angle. The aircraft struck the ground in a slight nose down angle at an approximate compass direction of 150 degrees, traveled 210 feet and came to rest in a westerly direction. The aircraft remained intact except for the wheel pants and left main landing gear which were found in the crash path. The FAA inspector arrived on scene approximately 20 minutes after the crash and observed the left tank was empty, the right tank had approximately one inch of fuel and the tank selector valve was found on the left tank. The propeller was found with one blade bent underneath the engine cowl and the other blade vertical with little damage. The passenger received fatal injuries and the pilot was reported as critical.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED LOVELAND FORT COLLINS AIRPORT, RUNWAY 33, AT APPROXIMATELY 9:05 AM IN A HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTED BY THE PILOT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VMC. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SUDDEN STEEP LEFT BANK TO A SOUTHERNLY DIRECTION AND THAT THEY DID NOT THINK THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN REPORTED IN A WINGS LEVEL POSITION AND DIVING AT A 45 TO 60 DEGREE ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN ANGLE AT AN APPROXIMATE COMPASS DIRECTION OF 150 DEGREES, TRAVELED 210 FEET AND CAME TO REST IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED INTACT EXCEPT FOR THE WHEEL PANTS AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHICH WERE FOUND IN THE CRASH PATH. THE FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH AND OBSERVED THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY, THE RIGHT TANK HAD APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH OF FUEL AND THE TANK SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND ON THE LEFT TANK. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND WITH ONE BLADE BENT UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COWL AND THE OTHER BLADE VERTICAL WITH LITTLE DAMAGE. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE PILOT WAS REPORTED AS CRITICAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.