What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff on November 29, 2011, for unknown reasons approximately 6.7 miles south of the Furnace Creek Airport located in the Death valley national park. The aircraft impacted the ground in a dry lake bed comprised of an extremely rough, jagged and hard surface. The initial point(s) of contact were noted by ground scars left by the left wing and fuselage. The left wing section was torn from the aircraft and the remains of the fuselage, right wing and empennage came to rest 141 feet from the initial point of contact (fuselage ground scar) with the right wing up and the fuselage facing in an opposite direction to that of the impact. The nose and cockpit sections of the fuselage were heavily damaged and crushed by post impact forces. The sole occupant was fatally injured. There was no post impact fire, no immediate indications of engine failure or any other evidence that may have provided a reason for the accident. The fuel tanks were compromised by post impact forces so no determination could be made as to the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident. The aircraft wreckage was found on January 31, 2011 by an employee of the Death valley national park service at approximately 9:30 am. On February 1, 2011, a witness reported to the NTSB that he had witnessed "a Mooney type aircraft" taxi out and take off on January 29, 2011. He estimated the time to be between 1400 and 1515. The witness (who is also a pilot) stated he did not notice anything abnormal about the aircraft as it took off. The witness was also unaware the aircraft had crashed until hearing about that accident on the news.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON NOVEMBER 29, 2011, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS APPROXIMATELY 6.7 MILES SOUTH OF THE FURNACE CREEK AIRPORT LOCATED IN THE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A DRY LAKE BED COMPRISED OF AN EXTREMELY ROUGH, JAGGED AND HARD SURFACE. THE INITIAL POINT(S) OF CONTACT WERE NOTED BY GROUND SCARS LEFT BY THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING SECTION WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE REMAINS OF THE FUSELAGE, RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE CAME TO REST 141 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT (FUSELAGE GROUND SCAR) WITH THE RIGHT WING UP AND THE FUSELAGE FACING IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THAT OF THE IMPACT. THE NOSE AND COCKPIT SECTIONS OF THE FUSELAGE WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED AND CRUSHED BY POST IMPACT FORCES. THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE, NO IMMEDIATE INDICATIONS OF ENGINE FAILURE OR ANY OTHER EVIDENCE THAT MAY HAVE PROVIDED A REASON FOR THE ACCIDENT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE COMPROMISED BY POST IMPACT FORCES SO NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON JANUARY 31, 2011 BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 AM.ON FEBRUARY 1, 2011, A WITNESS REPORTED TO THE NTSB THAT HE HAD WITNESSED "A MOONEY TYPE AIRCRAFT" TAXI OUT AND TAKE OFF ON JANUARY 29, 2011. HE ESTIMATED THE TIME TO BE BETWEEN 1400 AND 1515. THE WITNESS (WHO IS ALSO A PILOT) STATED HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT AS IT TOOK OFF. THE WITNESS WAS ALSO UNAWARE THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED UNTIL HEARING ABOUT THAT ACCIDENT ON THE NEWS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.