What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 8, 2011, a Cirrus SR-22, N159JW, was involved in a fatal aircraft accident in w. Liberty, OH. The pilot had departed bellefontaine, OH (kedj) at 1115 am for a planned flight to jackson county, OH (I19). The pilot held a private certificate with no instrument rating. The weather at the time of departure was 600' overcast with 5 miles of visibility and light rain. The columbus FSDO was notified of the accident at 1150 local time on September 8, 2011. Inspectors from the columbus FSDO arrived on the scene at 1330 pm; upon arrival the aircraft was located in a corn field facing on an easterly heading of 110 degrees. The investigation revealed that the angle of impact was estimated to be 60 degrees, with a ten degree angle of bank to the left. The pilot was ejected from the aircraft on initial impact, the remainder of the aircraft then continued on for 50 feet where it came to rest, it was consumed by the post impact fire; the only recognizable parts of the aircraft were the vertical stabilizer and the right wing. Three witnesses were interviewed and all of their accounts were similar, they described the accident aircraft performing aerobatic maneuvers prior to impact. Each witness stated that they saw the accident aircraft perform a loop, followed by an extreme pull up, and then they stated that the pilot pitched over, to what seemed to them, to be an almost vertical descent. The pilot was unable to recover from the steep dive; the witnesses then heard a "loud thud" and saw a plume of black smoke rise from the accident site. Other agencies and individuals assisting with the on site investigation included: the NTSB, Cirrus aircraft and teledyne Continental. On Friday September 9, 2011, at the bellefontaine airport, individuals from the aforementioned organizations conducted a thorough review of the events, as well as, an in depth investigation of the aircraft remains. The power plant had no defects and the data cards from the avionics were sent to NTSB laboratories in Washington, DC for examination
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2011, A CIRRUS SR-22, N159JW, WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN W. LIBERTY, OH. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED BELLEFONTAINE, OH (KEDJ) AT 1115 AM FOR A PLANNED FLIGHT TO JACKSON COUNTY, OH (I19). THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE WITH NO INSTRUMENT RATING. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS 600' OVERCAST WITH 5 MILES OF VISIBILITY AND LIGHT RAIN.THE COLUMBUS FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT AT 1150 LOCAL TIME ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2011. INSPECTORS FROM THE COLUMBUS FSDO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 1330 PM; UPON ARRIVAL THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A CORN FIELD FACING ON AN EASTERLY HEADING OF 110 DEGREES. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 60 DEGREES, WITH A TEN DEGREE ANGLE OF BANK TO THE LEFT.THE PILOT WAS EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT ON INITIAL IMPACT, THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED ON FOR 50 FEET WHERE IT CAME TO REST, IT WAS CONSUMED BY THE POST IMPACT FIRE; THE ONLY RECOGNIZABLE PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE RIGHT WING.THREE WITNESSES WERE INTERVIEWED AND ALL OF THEIR ACCOUNTS WERE SIMILAR, THEY DESCRIBED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS PRIOR TO IMPACT. EACH WITNESS STATED THAT THEY SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PERFORM A LOOP, FOLLOWED BY AN EXTREME PULL UP, AND THEN THEY STATED THAT THE PILOT PITCHED OVER, TO WHAT SEEMED TO THEM, TO BE AN ALMOST VERTICAL DESCENT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE STEEP DIVE; THE WITNESSES THEN HEARD A "LOUD THUD" AND SAW A PLUME OF BLACK SMOKE RISE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.OTHER AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS ASSISTING WITH THE ON SITE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED: THE NTSB, CIRRUS AIRCRAFT AND TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL. ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2011, AT THE BELLEFONTAINE AIRPORT, INDIVIDUALS FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED ORGANIZATIONS CONDUCTED A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EVENTS, AS WELL AS, AN IN DEPTH INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REMAINS. THE POWER PLANT HAD NO DEFECTS AND THE DATA CARDS FROM THE AVIONICS WERE SENT TO NTSB LABORATORIES IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR EXAMINATION
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.