What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 02/16/06 at approximately 19:39 PST while attempting a night landing at Willits CA airport id O28, certified flight instructor privacy data omitted , while providing night re-currency training to the pilot privacy data omitted , a certified private pilot, failed to prevent his student from impacting trees and landing approximately 1/8 of a mile short of runway 34. One of the passengers commented hearing the flight instructor tell the pilot privacy data omitted to make his approach into the airport high, both rear passengers reported seeing trees near the aircraft just before impact. Both pilots reported that an unforeseen cloud obstructed their approach and gave conflicting reports of evasive maneuvers. The pilot privacy data omitted reported turning left and climbing while privacy data omitted ^ reported seeing his student attempt to fly under the cloudbank. Both the pilot privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted ^ reported that after clearing the cloud, they saw trees, this was the point that privacy data omitted ^ took over the aircraft controls applying full mixture, throttle and up elevator just before impacting a tree with the aircrafts right wing. The aircraft then lost control impacting a hillside.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 02/16/06 AT APPROXIMATELY 19:39 PST WHILE ATTEMPTING A NIGHT LANDING AT WILLITS CA AIRPORT ID O28, CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , WHILE PROVIDING NIGHT RE-CURRENCY TRAINING TO THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , A CERTIFIED PRIVATE PILOT, FAILED TO PREVENT HIS STUDENT FROM IMPACTING TREES AND LANDING APPROXIMATELY 1/8 OF A MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 34. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS COMMENTED HEARING THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TELL THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ TO MAKE HIS APPROACH INTO THE AIRPORT HIGH, BOTH REAR PASSENGERS REPORTED SEEING TREES NEAR THE AIRCRAFT JUST BEFORE IMPACT. BOTH PILOTS REPORTED THAT AN UNFORESEEN CLOUD OBSTRUCTED THEIR APPROACH AND GAVE CONFLICTING REPORTS OF EVASIVE MANEUVERS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ REPORTED TURNING LEFT AND CLIMBING WHILE ^PRIVACY ^ REPORTED SEEING HIS STUDENT ATTEMPT TO FLY UNDER THE CLOUDBANK. BOTH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ AND ^PRIVACY ^ REPORTED THAT AFTER CLEARING THE CLOUD, THEY SAW TREES, THIS WAS THE POINT THAT ^PRIVACY ^ TOOK OVER THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS APPLYING FULL MIXTURE, THROTTLE AND UP ELEVATOR JUST BEFORE IMPACTING A TREE WITH THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN LOST CONTROL IMPACTING A HILLSIDE.
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 N9704M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.