What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A gumman AA-5B "tiger" aircraft, registration N448DM, crashed in a wooded, rural area approximately 5.25 miles west of Humbird, WI, with two occupants onboard. The pilot held a private pilot certificate, was the registered owner of the aircraft, and was occupying and secured to the left forward seat. The right seat was occupied by the pilot's son who did not have any FAA certificates. Both sustained fatal injuries upon impact. The main impact location contained the engine, most of the fuselage, including the cabin and occupants, and the left wing. The condition of the aircraft and other evidence at this location as indicative of an impact at high speed, a steep angle of descent, with the engine still producing power. An in-flight breakup of the aircraft was evidenced by the following sections of the aircraft located away from the main impact location with no disturbance of terrain or foliage between them; outboard section of the right wing approximately 160 yards away; right aileron, right flap, and vertical stabilizer between 130 and 145 yards away; the canopy 120 yards away; and the aft 1.5 feet of empennage along with the elevators approximately 30 yards from the main impact location. Small pieces of aircraft associated with the breakup of the major sections listed were spread throughout the area along with some loose personal belongings.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A GUMMAN AA-5B "TIGER" AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION N448DM, CRASHED IN A WOODED, RURAL AREA APPROXIMATELY 5.25 MILES WEST OF HUMBIRD, WI, WITH TWO OCCUPANTS ONBOARD. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, WAS THE REGISTERED OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND WAS OCCUPYING AND SECURED TO THE LEFT FORWARD SEAT. THE RIGHT SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY THE PILOT'S SON WHO DID NOT HAVE ANY FAA CERTIFICATES. BOTH SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES UPON IMPACT. THE MAIN IMPACT LOCATION CONTAINED THE ENGINE, MOST OF THE FUSELAGE, INCLUDING THE CABIN AND OCCUPANTS, AND THE LEFT WING. THE CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OTHER EVIDENCE AT THIS LOCATION AS INDICATIVE OF AN IMPACT AT HIGH SPEED, A STEEP ANGLE OF DESCENT, WITH THE ENGINE STILL PRODUCING POWER. AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVIDENCED BY THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT LOCATED AWAY FROM THE MAIN IMPACT LOCATION WITH NO DISTURBANCE OF TERRAIN OR FOLIAGE BETWEEN THEM; OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING APPROXIMATELY 160 YARDS AWAY; RIGHT AILERON, RIGHT FLAP, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER BETWEEN 130 AND 145 YARDS AWAY; THE CANOPY 120 YARDS AWAY; AND THE AFT 1.5 FEET OF EMPENNAGE ALONG WITH THE ELEVATORS APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM THE MAIN IMPACT LOCATION. SMALL PIECES OF AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE BREAKUP OF THE MAJOR SECTIONS LISTED WERE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE AREA ALONG WITH SOME LOOSE PERSONAL BELONGINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.