What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 8, 2011, about 0730 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-22-135, N8721C, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Verlot, Washington. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot and his passenger sustained fatal injuries. Visual and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed within the vicinity of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from a private airstrip near elk, Washington, about 0520, with an intended destination of arlington, Washington. Family members of the pilot reported that the pilot departed elk, Washington with the intention of flying to arlington to attend the fly-in. The pilot told family that he may go to ellensburg, Washington, if the weather was bad.a family member of the pilot reported the airplane overdue to local law enforcement the morning of July 9, 2011, after becoming concerned when the pilot had not arrived at his intended destination. The federal aviation administration (FAA) issued an alert notification (alnot) for the missing airplane. The wreckage was located by united states navy search and rescue (sar) personnel about 1400 on July 9 within heavily wooded mountainous terrain near liberty mountain. Examination of the accident site by the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge (iic) revealed that the airplane came to rest on sloping terrain about 200 feet below a ridge line at an elevation of about . The wreckage was mostly consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 8, 2011, ABOUT 0730 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-22-135, N8721C, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR VERLOT, WASHINGTON. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR ELK, WASHINGTON, ABOUT 0520, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON.FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DEPARTED ELK, WASHINGTON WITH THE INTENTION OF FLYING TO ARLINGTON TO ATTEND THE FLY-IN. THE PILOT TOLD FAMILY THAT HE MAY GO TO ELLENSBURG, WASHINGTON, IF THE WEATHER WAS BAD.A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE OVERDUE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT THE MORNING OF JULY 9, 2011, AFTER BECOMING CONCERNED WHEN THE PILOT HAD NOT ARRIVED AT HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) ISSUED AN ALERT NOTIFICATION (ALNOT) FOR THE MISSING AIRPLANE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY UNITED STATES NAVY SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) PERSONNEL ABOUT 1400 ON JULY 9 WITHIN HEAVILY WOODED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR LIBERTY MOUNTAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON SLOPING TERRAIN ABOUT 200 FEET BELOW A RIDGE LINE AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT . THE WRECKAGE WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.