What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was configured with its flaps up and was in straight, level and lower than normal, as it approached the Covey Trails Airport. At one point wittiness said the aircraft had to pop up to go over 42 foot power lines, before continuing it's flight path. The pilot reported that the canopy came open, but the canopy latch appeared to be in working condition. The aircraft then nosed over and collided with the ground. The aircraft hit the ground in a nose down attitude, which resulted in the landing gear collapsing and deforming the bottom of the aircraft. The impact caused rear attach points, of the wings to break and the tips of the wings to move forward. The plane slid into a trailer and the canopy broke away from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH ITS FLAPS UP AND WAS IN STRAIGHT, LEVEL AND LOWER THAN NORMAL, AS IT APPROACHED THE COVEY TRAILS AIRPORT. AT ONE POINT WITTINESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO POP UP TO GO OVER 42 FOOT POWER LINES, BEFORE CONTINUING IT'S FLIGHT PATH. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE CANOPY CAME OPEN, BUT THE CANOPY LATCH APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN NOSED OVER AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSING AND DEFORMING THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE IMPACT CAUSED REAR ATTACH POINTS, OF THE WINGS TO BREAK AND THE TIPS OF THE WINGS TO MOVE FORWARD. THE PLANE SLID INTO A TRAILER AND THE CANOPY BROKE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.