What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The uncertificated pilot, ronald ward, was sitting in the front seat, and a passenger, privacy data omitted, was seated in the rear seat of the aircraft. They departed from the pilot's private field at approximately 1330 CDT for a local flight. According to the surviving passenger, they had only been airborne about 10 minutes when the pilot began to return to the field. The aircraft struck tall trees before impacting the ground nose-first at the base of the trees. The ballistic recovery system (brs) parachute was entangled in the top of a tree with its shroud lines attached to the airframe. However, the aircraft had insufficient altitude for the brs to function properly. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the passenger was hospitalized with compound fractures to his left leg, a broken left ankle and left hand, a fracture of the eye socket and nose, and a concussion.
As the FAA filed it
THE UNCERTIFICATED PILOT, RONALD WARD, WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT, AND A PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THEY DEPARTED FROM THE PILOT'S PRIVATE FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 CDT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVING PASSENGER, THEY HAD ONLY BEEN AIRBORNE ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN THE PILOT BEGAN TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TALL TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND NOSE-FIRST AT THE BASE OF THE TREES. THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) PARACHUTE WAS ENTANGLED IN THE TOP OF A TREE WITH ITS SHROUD LINES ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR THE BRS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH COMPOUND FRACTURES TO HIS LEFT LEG, A BROKEN LEFT ANKLE AND LEFT HAND, A FRACTURE OF THE EYE SOCKET AND NOSE, AND A CONCUSSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.