What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was making landings at szp and departed the pattern to make a low pass over an adjacent riverbed. The aircraft severed a telephone communication wire with the right wing. After impacting the wire the aircraft rotated 180 degrees and pancaked onto the dry riverbed. The point of wire impact to final settlement was approximately 350 feet. The aircraft settled on its right side and a fire ensued. The left wing and fuselage were severely burned and damaged. The empennage and right wing were damaged, but recognizable. Teardown of engine was accomplished. No discrepancies were noted. Inspected cables for flight controls. No discrepancies were noted. Radio and navigation equipment were unidentifiable. Two instruments were identified as a gyro horizon and manifold pressure gage. All other instrumentation was unrecognizable.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS MAKING LANDINGS AT SZP AND DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER AN ADJACENT RIVERBED. THE AIRCRAFT SEVERED A TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION WIRE WITH THE RIGHT WING. AFTER IMPACTING THE WIRE THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND PANCAKED ONTO THE DRY RIVERBED. THE POINT OF WIRE IMPACT TO FINAL SETTLEMENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND A FIRE ENSUED. THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE WERE SEVERELY BURNED AND DAMAGED. THE EMPENNAGE AND RIGHT WING WERE DAMAGED, BUT RECOGNIZABLE. TEARDOWN OF ENGINE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. INSPECTED CABLES FOR FLIGHT CONTROLS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. RADIO AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT WERE UNIDENTIFIABLE. TWO INSTRUMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED AS A GYRO HORIZON AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE GAGE. ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTATION WAS UNRECOGNIZABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.