What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Student pilot flying aircraft without a medical or instructor endorsement. Amount of training received from a certified flight instructor is unknown. While attempting a low pass over a private airstrip the pilot reported a down draft which he could not climb out of. No indication of loss of power or control continuity. The aircraft impacted the terrain receiving substantial damage to the wings, propeller, motor mount, nose landing gear and lower forward fuselage. Propeller damage indicates the engine was making power when the prop hit the rocks. First responders reported fuel running out of the wing. The flaps were full down (40 degrees). Considering the pilot's lack of flight experience and his description of the sequence of events leading up to the accident, it is probable that the aircraft stalled at low level when the pilot attempted a go around or balked landing maneuver.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) STUDENT PILOT FLYING AIRCRAFT WITHOUT A MEDICAL OR INSTRUCTOR ENDORSEMENT. AMOUNT OF TRAINING RECEIVED FROM A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IS UNKNOWN. WHILE ATTEMPTING A LOW PASS OVER A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP THE PILOT REPORTED A DOWN DRAFT WHICH HE COULD NOT CLIMB OUT OF. NO INDICATION OF LOSS OF POWER OR CONTROL CONTINUITY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, PROPELLER, MOTOR MOUNT, NOSE LANDING GEAR AND LOWER FORWARD FUSELAGE. PROPELLER DAMAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER WHEN THE PROP HIT THE ROCKS. FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTED FUEL RUNNING OUT OF THE WING. THE FLAPS WERE FULL DOWN (40 DEGREES). CONSIDERING THE PILOT'S LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT, IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AT LOW LEVEL WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND OR BALKED LANDING MANEUVER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.