What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) privacy data omitted and an associate privacy data omitted had recently purchased the experimental amature built bonde TF-51D aircraft. This was to be privacy data omitted first flight in the aircraft. The aircraft departed the Sandy Valley airport (3L2) and was going to do a few flights in the immediate area before flying to the jean airport (OL7) and back to Sandy Valley. The aircraft developed landing gear problems and the left main landing gear would not extend. The pilot was in radio contact with persons on the ground, who were trying to help the pilot troubleshoot the problem and get the left gear to extend. The aircraft made approximatley 5 passes down the runway, on the last pass down the runway the left gear was partially extended and the ground personnel suggested the pilot "slip" the aircraft in order to try and fully extend the gear. The pilot also informed the ground personnel he had an "engine" light during his last pass down the runway. The aircraft remained in the traffic pattern and on the downwind leg, witnesses saw the aircraft wings rock, the aircraft enter into a steep nose down turn and heard the aircraft impact the ground followed by a cloud of dust. The pilot sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND AN ASSOCIATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATURE BUILT BONDE TF-51D AIRCRAFT. THIS WAS TO BE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FIRST FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SANDY VALLEY AIRPORT (3L2) AND WAS GOING TO DO A FEW FLIGHTS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA BEFORE FLYING TO THE JEAN AIRPORT (OL7) AND BACK TO SANDY VALLEY. THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED LANDING GEAR PROBLEMS AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. THE PILOT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH PERSONS ON THE GROUND, WHO WERE TRYING TO HELP THE PILOT TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM AND GET THE LEFT GEAR TO EXTEND. THE AIRCRAFT MADE APPROXIMATLEY 5 PASSES DOWN THE RUNWAY, ON THE LAST PASS DOWN THE RUNWAY THE LEFT GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED AND THE GROUND PERSONNEL SUGGESTED THE PILOT "SLIP" THE AIRCRAFT IN ORDER TO TRY AND FULLY EXTEND THE GEAR. THE PILOT ALSO INFORMED THE GROUND PERSONNEL HE HAD AN "ENGINE" LIGHT DURING HIS LAST PASS DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT WINGS ROCK, THE AIRCRAFT ENTER INTO A STEEP NOSE DOWN TURN AND HEARD THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY A CLOUD OF DUST. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.