What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot departed on a local flight from a private strip near taft, CA at approximately 0930PST on 2/2/08. When the aircraft did not return by 1630PST, the pilot's family reported it was missing. There are no weather reporting facilities in the area but a pipeline patrol pilot reported clouds and gusty wind conditions in the vicinity at the approximate time of the accident flight. The aircraft was located on the side of a hill approximately 18 miles south of the departure point on 2/6/08. It impacted the earth in a nw direction, at high speed leaving a crater approx. 3" deep. It cartwheeled another 100' leaving a second impact point and came to a rest approx 20' beyond that point. There was evidence of a small fire. NTSB released the wreckage and an FAA inspector examined it at a storage facility 5 days later. He observed evidence of a spiral dive with right wing impact followed by impact of the nose. Damage to the propeller indicated the engine was under power and there were no mechanical or structural anomalies noted. The aircraft was not equipped with attitude instruments and there was no ELT. Family members reported to authorities that the pilot was known for "buzzing" and performing stunts.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT FROM A PRIVATE STRIP NEAR TAFT, CA AT APPROXIMATELY 0930PST ON 2/2/08. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN BY 1630PST, THE PILOT'S FAMILY REPORTED IT WAS MISSING. THERE ARE NO WEATHER REPORTING FACILITIES IN THE AREA BUT A PIPELINE PATROL PILOT REPORTED CLOUDS AND GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS IN THE VICINITY AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF A HILL APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE POINT ON 2/6/08. IT IMPACTED THE EARTH IN A NW DIRECTION, AT HIGH SPEED LEAVING A CRATER APPROX. 3" DEEP. IT CARTWHEELED ANOTHER 100' LEAVING A SECOND IMPACT POINT AND CAME TO A REST APPROX 20' BEYOND THAT POINT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A SMALL FIRE. NTSB RELEASED THE WRECKAGE AND AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED IT AT A STORAGE FACILITY 5 DAYS LATER. HE OBSERVED EVIDENCE OF A SPIRAL DIVE WITH RIGHT WING IMPACT FOLLOWED BY IMPACT OF THE NOSE. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER INDICATED THE ENGINE WAS UNDER POWER AND THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL OR STRUCTURAL ANOMALIES NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ATTITUDE INSTRUMENTS AND THERE WAS NO ELT. FAMILY MEMBERS REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES THAT THE PILOT WAS KNOWN FOR "BUZZING" AND PERFORMING STUNTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.