What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 3, 2009, at approximately 8:38 am mountain standard time, experimental amateur-built stephen zodiac ch 601 xl, N3683X collided with mountainous terrain on antelope island approximately 12 miles southwest of Syracuse, UT. The pilot was a commercial pilot (airplane multi and single engine land; instrument airplane). The pilot was the sole occupant on the airplane and was killed. The flight originated from tooele, UT (ktvy) with intended destination bountiful skypark, UT (kbtf). The FAA was alerted by family that the pilot did not arrive at its destination. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision. The main wreckage consisted of the inverted fuselage, wings, tail group and engine. Aft crushing with accordion type bending features was noted from the engine assembly aft to the tail assembly. Interior and exterior fragments of the forward portion of the airplanes cockpit area were found in the general impact area. The propeller remained attached to the engine at the crankshaft flange and the engine remained attached to its mounting assembly and associated firewall. Extensive fragmentation and impact related damage was observed to the instrument panel and cockpit controls. Both seats remained in the cabin area and sustained impact related damage. The main landing gear and nose gear were in place and remained attached to their respective mounting brackets. The empennage group was bent forward, and canted to the left. The left wing forward lower spar had an overload type fracture. This caused the left wing to fold from the rear root of the wing in a line towards the fuel take (forward mid section of the wing).
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 3, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:38 AM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT STEPHEN ZODIAC CH 601 XL, N3683X COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ON ANTELOPE ISLAND APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SYRACUSE, UT. THE PILOT WAS A COMMERCIAL PILOT (AIRPLANE MULTI AND SINGLE ENGINE LAND; INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE). THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON THE AIRPLANE AND WAS KILLED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TOOELE, UT (KTVY) WITH INTENDED DESTINATION BOUNTIFUL SKYPARK, UT (KBTF). THE FAA WAS ALERTED BY FAMILY THAT THE PILOT DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE COLLISION. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CONSISTED OF THE INVERTED FUSELAGE, WINGS, TAIL GROUP AND ENGINE. AFT CRUSHING WITH ACCORDION TYPE BENDING FEATURES WAS NOTED FROM THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY AFT TO THE TAIL ASSEMBLY. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FRAGMENTS OF THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE AIRPLANES COCKPIT AREA WERE FOUND IN THE GENERAL IMPACT AREA. THE PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE AT THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE AND THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO ITS MOUNTING ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED FIREWALL. EXTENSIVE FRAGMENTATION AND IMPACT RELATED DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND COCKPIT CONTROLS. BOTH SEATS REMAINED IN THE CABIN AREA AND SUSTAINED IMPACT RELATED DAMAGE. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE GEAR WERE IN PLACE AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MOUNTING BRACKETS. THE EMPENNAGE GROUP WAS BENT FORWARD, AND CANTED TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING FORWARD LOWER SPAR HAD AN OVERLOAD TYPE FRACTURE. THIS CAUSED THE LEFT WING TO FOLD FROM THE REAR ROOT OF THE WING IN A LINE TOWARDS THE FUEL TAKE (FORWARD MID SECTION OF THE WING).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.