What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A BD5J aircraft flew a low pass over runway 14 at the Ocean City muni airport, pulled up and turned crosswind to fly a normal closed traffic pattern. Witnesses reported that N23AP flew a normal downwind, after turning base leg the aircraft rolled out on a longer and lower final approach than usual. The owner of N23AP saw the aircraft approaching the runway low over the trees, it appeared to him that the aircraft was actually descending to the threshold, he looked away for a moment, when he looked back he expected to see the aircraft on the runway but saw smoke rising from the tree line. The aircraft impacted the tree tops then fell vertically and burst into flames upon impact. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed when the full fuel tanks exploded. A witness could hear the engine as the aircraft passed over.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A BD5J AIRCRAFT FLEW A LOW PASS OVER RUNWAY 14 AT THE OCEAN CITY MUNI AIRPORT, PULLED UP AND TURNED CROSSWIND TO FLY A NORMAL CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERN. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT N23AP FLEW A NORMAL DOWNWIND, AFTER TURNING BASE LEG THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OUT ON A LONGER AND LOWER FINAL APPROACH THAN USUAL. THE OWNER OF N23AP SAW THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING THE RUNWAY LOW OVER THE TREES, IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ACTUALLY DESCENDING TO THE THRESHOLD, HE LOOKED AWAY FOR A MOMENT, WHEN HE LOOKED BACK HE EXPECTED TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY BUT SAW SMOKE RISING FROM THE TREE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREE TOPS THEN FELL VERTICALLY AND BURST INTO FLAMES UPON IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS KILLED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE FULL FUEL TANKS EXPLODED. A WITNESS COULD HEAR THE ENGINE AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER.
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 N23AP · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.