What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Cessna 320D, N320KP, impacted terrain during landing. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. The flight departed fresno, California, about 1830, with a planned destination of Fallon, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. Witnesses to the accident reported seeing the airplane approach the airport from the southwest and cross midfiled to enter the downwind leg for landing on runway 21. The airplane was observed making a right 270-degree turn, followed by a sharp left turn where the airplane descended out of sight. Witnesses then reported seeing a fireball erupt in the area of the accident. Weather in the area was reported to be high winds out of the southwest at 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 38 miles per hour.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) CESSNA 320D, N320KP, IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING LANDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POST CRASH FIRE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1830, WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF FALLON, NEVADA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE APPROACH THE AIRPORT FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND CROSS MIDFILED TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 21. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED MAKING A RIGHT 270-DEGREE TURN, FOLLOWED BY A SHARP LEFT TURN WHERE THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED OUT OF SIGHT. WITNESSES THEN REPORTED SEEING A FIREBALL ERUPT IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS REPORTED TO BE HIGH WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR, WITH GUSTS UP TO 38 MILES PER HOUR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.