What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was conducting aerial observation of a vehicle off road race and had been airborne for one hour when the pilot experienced an inability to maintain flight with the aircraft descending into uneven terrain. The aircraft impacted the terrain initially on the heel of the right skid, bounced then skidded, breaking both skids away from the fuselage, then impacting the under side of the nose and fuselage before it turned to the left and came to rest on its right side. The pilot suffered a head injury and has been unable to recall any detail. The two passengers were seriously injured, but expected to recover.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL OBSERVATION OF A VEHICLE OFF ROAD RACE AND HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR ONE HOUR WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN INABILITY TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT WITH THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING INTO UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN INITIALLY ON THE HEEL OF THE RIGHT SKID, BOUNCED THEN SKIDDED, BREAKING BOTH SKIDS AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE, THEN IMPACTING THE UNDER SIDE OF THE NOSE AND FUSELAGE BEFORE IT TURNED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SUFFERED A HEAD INJURY AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RECALL ANY DETAIL. THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, BUT EXPECTED TO RECOVER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.