What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 84 Year old male pilot departed Ramona Airport runway 27 in his homebuilt breezy RLU-1 at approximately 7:15 am. According to eyewitnesses, he initiated a climbing right turn to avoid entering a fog layer approaching airport from the west. Within moments of turning right, an eyewitness, a pilot, heard the engine stop, then observed, in rapid succession, a stall/spin from an altitude of 300 ft, resulting in the aircraft striking the ground in a near vertical attitude. Pilot, lone occupant, killed on impact. No post crash fire. Adequate fuel in wing tanks. Cause of engine power loss presently undetermined. Engine evaluation to be conducted by NTSB. ASOS weather observation indicated IMC weather conditions from 0700 local to 0730 local between 1/4 mile visibility in fog to 1 mile in mist.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 84 YEAR OLD MALE PILOT DEPARTED RAMONA AIRPORT RUNWAY 27 IN HIS HOMEBUILT BREEZY RLU-1 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, HE INITIATED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TO AVOID ENTERING A FOG LAYER APPROACHING AIRPORT FROM THE WEST. WITHIN MOMENTS OF TURNING RIGHT, AN EYEWITNESS, A PILOT, HEARD THE ENGINE STOP, THEN OBSERVED, IN RAPID SUCCESSION, A STALL/SPIN FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FT, RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. PILOT, LONE OCCUPANT, KILLED ON IMPACT. NO POST CRASH FIRE. ADEQUATE FUEL IN WING TANKS. CAUSE OF ENGINE POWER LOSS PRESENTLY UNDETERMINED. ENGINE EVALUATION TO BE CONDUCTED BY NTSB. ASOS WEATHER OBSERVATION INDICATED IMC WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM 0700 LOCAL TO 0730 LOCAL BETWEEN 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY IN FOG TO 1 MILE IN MIST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.