What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 13:37 hrs local time the accident aircraft departed a grassy rolling field at 1575 county route 22 in Ghent, NY in a northerly direction with two people on board when according to witnesses, it climbed to about 300 to 400 feet, started to turn left and nosed into the terrain. The post crash fire consumed the entire aircraft and both occupants were fatally injured. Witnesses privacy data omitted (friend of pilot) and privacy data omitted (property owner) state that the engine sounded like it was going "full throttle" when the crash occurred and heard no signs of engine missing or sputtering. The debris field was limited to a circle approximately 50 feet in diameter except for the left main wheel assembly which was found approximately 300 ft. from the left wing tip. The propeller and crankshaft flange were broken off and lay under the right wing leading edge. Flight control continuity and structural integrity were confirmed to the best of our ability given the damage from impact and fire. The accident aircraft had made a short flight with another passenger just minutes before the accident that was uneventful. The cockpit and instrument panel received extensive fire and impact damage. Both control sticks were intact and could be moved slightly. Note: a small adjustable wrench was found in an area that could be described as "under the floor", although none of the flooring was left, and it is not known where this wrench was in the aircraft before the crash. The inboard section of the left wing received very heavy fire damage. The leading edge, front spar, wing tip and some ribs were still intact but damaged. The inboard section of the rear spar was badly melted. The left aileron bell crank was still attached, but both inboard and outboard hinges were ripped from the aileron. The left flap was completely destroyed by fire and barely distinguishable. The left lift strut was damaged but intact. The fabric on the empennage and tail surfaces was burned off but the structure was still mostly intact. The horizontal stabilizer trim jack screw had approximately 2.75 inches of thread exposed above the barrel. The right wing structure was mostly intact despite impact and fire damage. The right lift strut was bent but still attached. The right aileron exhibited the same characteristics as the left in that the bell crank was still attached, but the hinges were torn off of the aileron. Engine accessory section was heavily damaged from fire and impact and was not accessible at the scene. Oil sump and all components attached were not accessible at the scene.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 13:37 HRS LOCAL TIME THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED A GRASSY ROLLING FIELD AT 1575 COUNTY ROUTE 22 IN GHENT, NY IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION WITH TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD WHEN ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, IT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 300 TO 400 FEET, STARTED TO TURN LEFT AND NOSED INTO THE TERRAIN. THE POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT AND BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. WITNESSES ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (FRIEND OF PILOT) AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PROPERTY OWNER) STATE THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS GOING "FULL THROTTLE" WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED AND HEARD NO SIGNS OF ENGINE MISSING OR SPUTTERING. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS LIMITED TO A CIRCLE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET IN DIAMETER EXCEPT FOR THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLY WHICH WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 300 FT. FROM THE LEFT WING TIP. THE PROPELLER AND CRANKSHAFT FLANGE WERE BROKEN OFF AND LAY UNDER THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WERE CONFIRMED TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY GIVEN THE DAMAGE FROM IMPACT AND FIRE. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HAD MADE A SHORT FLIGHT WITH ANOTHER PASSENGER JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THAT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE COCKPIT AND INSTRUMENT PANEL RECEIVED EXTENSIVE FIRE AND IMPACT DAMAGE. BOTH CONTROL STICKS WERE INTACT AND COULD BE MOVED SLIGHTLY. NOTE: A SMALL ADJUSTABLE WRENCH WAS FOUND IN AN AREA THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS "UNDER THE FLOOR", ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE FLOORING WAS LEFT, AND IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE THIS WRENCH WAS IN THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE CRASH. THE INBOARD SECTION OF THE LEFT WING RECEIVED VERY HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE. THE LEADING EDGE, FRONT SPAR, WING TIP AND SOME RIBS WERE STILL INTACT BUT DAMAGED. THE INBOARD SECTION OF THE REAR SPAR WAS BADLY MELTED. THE LEFT AILERON BELL CRANK WAS STILL ATTACHED, BUT BOTH INBOARD AND OUTBOARD HINGES WERE RIPPED FROM THE AILERON. THE LEFT FLAP WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE AND BARELY DISTINGUISHABLE. THE LEFT LIFT STRUT WAS DAMAGED BUT INTACT. THE FABRIC ON THE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL SURFACES WAS BURNED OFF BUT THE STRUCTURE WAS STILL MOSTLY INTACT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TRIM JACK SCREW HAD APPROXIMATELY 2.75 INCHES OF THREAD EXPOSED ABOVE THE BARREL. THE RIGHT WING STRUCTURE WAS MOSTLY INTACT DESPITE IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE. THE RIGHT LIFT STRUT WAS BENT BUT STILL ATTACHED. THE RIGHT AILERON EXHIBITED THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS AS THE LEFT IN THAT THE BELL CRANK WAS STILL ATTACHED, BUT THE HINGES WERE TORN OFF OF THE AILERON. ENGINE ACCESSORY SECTION WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED FROM FIRE AND IMPACT AND WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE AT THE SCENE. OIL SUMP AND ALL COMPONENTS ATTACHED WERE NOT ACCESSIBLE AT THE SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.