What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N734JV was approaching Bowman Field from the west coming from ril. After several communications with the tower, the pilot was given clearance to land. Within a few seconds of the clearance the aircraft was seen making a left turn away from the runway. The pilot never requested a 360 degree turn nor did the tower approve a 360 degree turn. Half way through his turn, witnesses state "the more he turned to the lft the steeper the bank of the turn became without increasing in airspeed." The aircraft struck several trees prior to impacting the ground. The left wing was bent in half and fire ensued after impact. The pilot was evacuated by the Louisville fire department and taken to university of Louisville hospital for internal injuries and burns. Evidence indicates the engine was not operating at the time of the crash. Fuel was present in the right wing during the investigation and the left wing burned between 20 and 40 minutes during the pilot's evacuation. There was a call of low fuel prior to the crash but no aircraft call sign was associated with the call. No discrepancies were discovered during the engine teardown or the investigation of the aircraft by the FAA and the individual manufacturers.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N734JV WAS APPROACHING BOWMAN FIELD FROM THE WEST COMING FROM RIL. AFTER SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWER, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE TO LAND. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF THE CLEARANCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN MAKING A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT NEVER REQUESTED A 360 DEGREE TURN NOR DID THE TOWER APPROVE A 360 DEGREE TURN. HALF WAY THROUGH HIS TURN, WITNESSES STATE "THE MORE HE TURNED TO THE LFT THE STEEPER THE BANK OF THE TURN BECAME WITHOUT INCREASING IN AIRSPEED." THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SEVERAL TREES PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT IN HALF AND FIRE ENSUED AFTER IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS EVACUATED BY THE LOUISVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TAKEN TO UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE HOSPITAL FOR INTERNAL INJURIES AND BURNS. EVIDENCE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS NOT OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE RIGHT WING DURING THE INVESTIGATION AND THE LEFT WING BURNED BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MINUTES DURING THE PILOT'S EVACUATION. THERE WAS A CALL OF LOW FUEL PRIOR TO THE CRASH BUT NO AIRCRAFT CALL SIGN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CALL. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE ENGINE TEARDOWN OR THE INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA AND THE INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURERS.
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 N734JV · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.