What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot had recently purchased the light sport aircraft and was returning with the aircraft from salinas, California to St. George, Utah. While descending to enter the traffic pattern at St. George for landing the pilot stated the engine quit and he was unable to restart it. The aircraft crashed on a hillside on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern destroying the aircraft. The pilot stated he did not run out of fuel. Fuel was observed to still be draining from the aircraft fuel vent 20 hours after the accident. The pilot also said the engine had "sputtered" earlier in the flight which was corrected by moving the choke lever to off after it had been accidentally activated. He did not think he activated the choke when descending to land at St. George. He did not remember if he used carburetor heat during the descent for landing. Accurate settings for the choke & carburetor heat controls could not be determined due to destruction of the cockpit area during the crash and subsequent rescue operations. The NTSB is to examine the engine at a later date to determine if a cause of the engine failure can be determined.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT AND WAS RETURNING WITH THE AIRCRAFT FROM SALINAS, CALIFORNIA TO ST. GEORGE, UTAH. WHILE DESCENDING TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT ST. GEORGE FOR LANDING THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON A HILLSIDE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT RUN OUT OF FUEL. FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO STILL BE DRAINING FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUEL VENT 20 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ALSO SAID THE ENGINE HAD "SPUTTERED" EARLIER IN THE FLIGHT WHICH WAS CORRECTED BY MOVING THE CHOKE LEVER TO OFF AFTER IT HAD BEEN ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATED. HE DID NOT THINK HE ACTIVATED THE CHOKE WHEN DESCENDING TO LAND AT ST. GEORGE. HE DID NOT REMEMBER IF HE USED CARBURETOR HEAT DURING THE DESCENT FOR LANDING. ACCURATE SETTINGS FOR THE CHOKE & CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROLS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO DESTRUCTION OF THE COCKPIT AREA DURING THE CRASH AND SUBSEQUENT RESCUE OPERATIONS. THE NTSB IS TO EXAMINE THE ENGINE AT A LATER DATE TO DETERMINE IF A CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE CAN BE DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.