What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated he arrived at the Payson Airport traffic area from the west and the aircraft engine had been running properly throughout his flight from deer valley airport. He descended and entered a right hand pattern for runway 24. He set up for landing and touched down successfully. He then applied full power for a "touch and go" and he allowed the aircraft accelerated to 55KNOTS. He then pulled the yoke back and the aircraft began to climb. As the aircraft climbed away from the runway the pilot stated that the aircraft was not climbing as well as he had experienced in previous flights to the area. He states that he remembered the airspeed being between 67 and 68 knots. He recognized that he was close to the ground. He attempted to put the nose down to accelerate but the airspeed did not increase. He turned right to crosswind and noted the aircraft was not climbing. He remembers hearing the engine making popping sounds. He said he then turned right again in an attempt to get back to the airport. He was busy checking for an area to land but remembered the engine power was low (1800 RPM). He checked the mixture was proper and later stated he pushed the mixture full rich. He also turned on the fuel pump switch. He stated that as he was turning right the last time he had no time to check anything else. He then stated he tried to fly the aircraft in slow flight. He remembers hearing the stall warning horn as the aircraft crashed into a heavily treed forest area to the west-northwest of Payson Airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the airframe as it impacted several trees along a southwesterly direction. The right wing hit a juniper tree and the aircraft pivoted 180 degrees and traveled backward into another juniper bush which slowed the aircraft to a halt. The right hand wing broke forward at the aft wing spar to fuselage attach point. The left wing was bent downward and slightly aft. The engine nose cone, bottom cowl, and nose gear was pushed backwards. And the elevator had several crushed areas on the leading edges. The rest of the empennage and fuselage stayed intact except the windshield which broke inward during the crash. During the post crash investigation it was noted that the seatbelt airbags did not deploy. The aircraft wreckage has been recovered and additional inspections will be performed on the engine and the aircraft cockpit G-1000 instrument panel system to determine whether any indications of mechanical failure can be determined.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HE ARRIVED AT THE PAYSON AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA FROM THE WEST AND THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING PROPERLY THROUGHOUT HIS FLIGHT FROM DEER VALLEY AIRPORT. HE DESCENDED AND ENTERED A RIGHT HAND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 24. HE SET UP FOR LANDING AND TOUCHED DOWN SUCCESSFULLY. HE THEN APPLIED FULL POWER FOR A "TOUCH AND GO" AND HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO 55KNOTS. HE THEN PULLED THE YOKE BACK AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CLIMB. AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING AS WELL AS HE HAD EXPERIENCED IN PREVIOUS FLIGHTS TO THE AREA. HE STATES THAT HE REMEMBERED THE AIRSPEED BEING BETWEEN 67 AND 68 KNOTS. HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS CLOSE TO THE GROUND. HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE NOSE DOWN TO ACCELERATE BUT THE AIRSPEED DID NOT INCREASE. HE TURNED RIGHT TO CROSSWIND AND NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING. HE REMEMBERS HEARING THE ENGINE MAKING POPPING SOUNDS. HE SAID HE THEN TURNED RIGHT AGAIN IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HE WAS BUSY CHECKING FOR AN AREA TO LAND BUT REMEMBERED THE ENGINE POWER WAS LOW (1800 RPM). HE CHECKED THE MIXTURE WAS PROPER AND LATER STATED HE PUSHED THE MIXTURE FULL RICH. HE ALSO TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP SWITCH. HE STATED THAT AS HE WAS TURNING RIGHT THE LAST TIME HE HAD NO TIME TO CHECK ANYTHING ELSE. HE THEN STATED HE TRIED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT IN SLOW FLIGHT. HE REMEMBERS HEARING THE STALL WARNING HORN AS THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A HEAVILY TREED FOREST AREA TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST OF PAYSON AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME AS IT IMPACTED SEVERAL TREES ALONG A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. THE RIGHT WING HIT A JUNIPER TREE AND THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED 180 DEGREES AND TRAVELED BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER JUNIPER BUSH WHICH SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO A HALT. THE RIGHT HAND WING BROKE FORWARD AT THE AFT WING SPAR TO FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT DOWNWARD AND SLIGHTLY AFT. THE ENGINE NOSE CONE, BOTTOM COWL, AND NOSE GEAR WAS PUSHED BACKWARDS. AND THE ELEVATOR HAD SEVERAL CRUSHED AREAS ON THE LEADING EDGES. THE REST OF THE EMPENNAGE AND FUSELAGE STAYED INTACT EXCEPT THE WINDSHIELD WHICH BROKE INWARD DURING THE CRASH.DURING THE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE SEATBELT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE HAS BEEN RECOVERED AND ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT COCKPIT G-1000 INSTRUMENT PANEL SYSTEM TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY INDICATIONS OF MECHANICAL FAILURE CAN BE DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.