What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was reported missing on 1-19-08. On 1-20-08, aircraft was located approximately 3.5 miles northeast of ruby star airpark (14AZ). Aircraft was facing n, NE with a localized debris area with no damage to surrounding vegetation or skid marks indicating direction of travel. Debris field was strewn in n, NE direction. Power and telephone lines are located approximately 300 feet (running north/south) to the east and 700 feet to the north (running east/west). A hill crest is located 400 feet to the west. No damage to the surrounding power or telephone lines was noted. Aircraft showed no signs of in-flight breakup. Fuel was found in the carburetors and fuel delivery line. Engine turned freely by turning the propeller by hand. Engine tachometer was frozen at approximately 5800 RPM. Nose wheel fork was bent rearwards. Trike frame was also bent beneath and rearward. R/h wing spar was broken approximately 3 feet from the tip, with a bend toward the rear of the aircraft. There was no evidence of the spar having flailed around in flight indicating a failure in flight. Air creations representative privacy data omitted confirmed aircraft was assembled for flight correctly with all points of assembly still intact. privacy data omitted Also noted that the wing and trike combination utilized is not one offered by air creations. privacy data omitted Further noted that the propeller was not one offered by air creations. The pilot privacy data omitted held a private pilot certificate with glider rating, sport pilot certificate with sport rating and flight instructor sport privileges that would expire on 11-30-2009. Medical examiner privacy data omitted stated that privacy data omitted was in the front seat and sustained injuries indicating the aircraft hit going forward at a high rate of speed. privacy data omitted Stated that the pilot privacy data omitted had a heart problem indicating plaque hemorrhaging was present. privacy data omitted Could not ascertain if this was present before the crash or caused by the crash. privacy data omitted Did state that the pilot privacy data omitted showed signs of a previous heart attack.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING ON 1-19-08. ON 1-20-08, AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUBY STAR AIRPARK (14AZ). AIRCRAFT WAS FACING N, NE WITH A LOCALIZED DEBRIS AREA WITH NO DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEGETATION OR SKID MARKS INDICATING DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. DEBRIS FIELD WAS STREWN IN N, NE DIRECTION. POWER AND TELEPHONE LINES ARE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET (RUNNING NORTH/SOUTH) TO THE EAST AND 700 FEET TO THE NORTH (RUNNING EAST/WEST). A HILL CREST IS LOCATED 400 FEET TO THE WEST. NO DAMAGE TO THE SURROUNDING POWER OR TELEPHONE LINES WAS NOTED. AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETORS AND FUEL DELIVERY LINE. ENGINE TURNED FREELY BY TURNING THE PROPELLER BY HAND. ENGINE TACHOMETER WAS FROZEN AT APPROXIMATELY 5800 RPM. NOSE WHEEL FORK WAS BENT REARWARDS. TRIKE FRAME WAS ALSO BENT BENEATH AND REARWARD. R/H WING SPAR WAS BROKEN APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET FROM THE TIP, WITH A BEND TOWARD THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF THE SPAR HAVING FLAILED AROUND IN FLIGHT INDICATING A FAILURE IN FLIGHT. AIR CREATIONS REPRESENTATIVE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIRMED AIRCRAFT WAS ASSEMBLED FOR FLIGHT CORRECTLY WITH ALL POINTS OF ASSEMBLY STILL INTACT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO NOTED THAT THE WING AND TRIKE COMBINATION UTILIZED IS NOT ONE OFFERED BY AIR CREATIONS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FURTHER NOTED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS NOT ONE OFFERED BY AIR CREATIONS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH GLIDER RATING, SPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SPORT RATING AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SPORT PRIVILEGES THAT WOULD EXPIRE ON 11-30-2009. MEDICAL EXAMINER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND SUSTAINED INJURIES INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT HIT GOING FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD A HEART PROBLEM INDICATING PLAQUE HEMORRHAGING WAS PRESENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COULD NOT ASCERTAIN IF THIS WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE CRASH OR CAUSED BY THE CRASH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID STATE THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHOWED SIGNS OF A PREVIOUS HEART ATTACK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.