What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 13, 2010 pilot, gabriel a. suarez certificate privacy data omitted, was training for mountain flying under the instruction of CFI privacy data omitted, CFI 2783166. The aircraft was observed, by several campers, flying at tree top level up the narrow canyon of the east fork of the north fork of the American river in the sierra Nevada mountains. About 15 seconds later the campers heard a loud impact followed by a second loud impact moments later. The campers hiked up the canyon and located the wreckage of the aircraft about 30 minutes later, finding two deceased persons in and about the wreckage. Witensses stated that they did not observe any unusual problems with the aircraft as it over flew the campground and that the engine sounded normal and under power. Investigation of the accident site revealed that the aircraft was in a slight left climbing turn when the aircrafts left wing hit a tree and one half of the left wing seperated from the aircraft. The aircraft rolled left and continued for about another 100 yards where it impacted a second tree inverted. The aircraft came to an abrupt stop and plummeted straight down the tree trunk coming to rest in an inverted position. The engine, nose gear, and cowl had seperated at the second impact and continued forward for another 20 - 25 yards from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 13, 2010 PILOT, GABRIEL A. SUAREZ CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS TRAINING FOR MOUNTAIN FLYING UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CFI 2783166. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED, BY SEVERAL CAMPERS, FLYING AT TREE TOP LEVEL UP THE NARROW CANYON OF THE EAST FORK OF THE NORTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER THE CAMPERS HEARD A LOUD IMPACT FOLLOWED BY A SECOND LOUD IMPACT MOMENTS LATER. THE CAMPERS HIKED UP THE CANYON AND LOCATED THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, FINDING TWO DECEASED PERSONS IN AND ABOUT THE WRECKAGE. WITENSSES STATED THAT THEY DID NOT OBSERVE ANY UNUSUAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT AS IT OVER FLEW THE CAMPGROUND AND THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND UNDER POWER. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A SLIGHT LEFT CLIMBING TURN WHEN THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING HIT A TREE AND ONE HALF OF THE LEFT WING SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT AND CONTINUED FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 100 YARDS WHERE IT IMPACTED A SECOND TREE INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND PLUMMETED STRAIGHT DOWN THE TREE TRUNK COMING TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. THE ENGINE, NOSE GEAR, AND COWL HAD SEPERATED AT THE SECOND IMPACT AND CONTINUED FORWARD FOR ANOTHER 20 - 25 YARDS 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.
Other reports on N3463Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.