What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After landing at ibm for fuel at approximately 1000 hours local time, the pilot made some phone calls and returned to the aircraft and taxied over to the fuel pump. Not wanting to get out of the aircraft because of wind, the pilot had the line personnel refuel the aircraft while he stayed seated in the cockpit. At approximately 1030 hours, the pilot taxied out and made a call over the local frequency announcing his departure. The pilot was never observed taking off from ibm. At approximately 1245 hours local, the airport manager and his wife observed an aircraft in a wheat field with the tail vertical to the ground and alerted emergency personnel. When they arrived at the scene, they observed the pilot was fatally injured. The impact crater of the aircraft was approximately six inches deep and three feet forward of the wreckage. Two pieces of the propeller were found approximately 45 feet from the wreckage and in the impact center. The spinner appeared to have swirl marks and bends indicating rotation. The tachometer was reading 1350 RPM static and the airspeed indicator was reading approximately 86 mph. The density altitude was over 7000 feet and the winds were 360 at 11 gusting to 16.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER LANDING AT IBM FOR FUEL AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT MADE SOME PHONE CALLS AND RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXIED OVER TO THE FUEL PUMP. NOT WANTING TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE OF WIND, THE PILOT HAD THE LINE PERSONNEL REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT WHILE HE STAYED SEATED IN THE COCKPIT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 HOURS, THE PILOT TAXIED OUT AND MADE A CALL OVER THE LOCAL FREQUENCY ANNOUNCING HIS DEPARTURE. THE PILOT WAS NEVER OBSERVED TAKING OFF FROM IBM. AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 HOURS LOCAL, THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND HIS WIFE OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT IN A WHEAT FIELD WITH THE TAIL VERTICAL TO THE GROUND AND ALERTED EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE SCENE, THEY OBSERVED THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE IMPACT CRATER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES DEEP AND THREE FEET FORWARD OF THE WRECKAGE. TWO PIECES OF THE PROPELLER WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE AND IN THE IMPACT CENTER. THE SPINNER APPEARED TO HAVE SWIRL MARKS AND BENDS INDICATING ROTATION. THE TACHOMETER WAS READING 1350 RPM STATIC AND THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS READING APPROXIMATELY 86 MPH. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS OVER 7000 FEET AND THE WINDS WERE 360 AT 11 GUSTING TO 16.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.