What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 15, 2011, N7850P a Cirrus SR22 was piloted by privacy data omitted and he was carrying one passenger. The aircraft departed the show low AZ airport (ksow) destined for scottsdale AZ (ksdl). The flight was conducted under daytime VFR. N7850P entered the traffic pattern at the ksdl airport on the downwind leg. ATC told N7850P to extend the downwind leg and that he would be number 2 behind a Gulfstream gv (G550) that was on a 5 mile left base. ATC reported the gv traffic to N7850P and privacy data omitted reported that the sun was in his eyes. (ATC made 2 prior traffic reports to N7850P regarding the gv traffic, which he did not report seeing)the sdl tower has a stars radar display for reference purposes; earlier that day the system was reported as intermittent. The controller was making the traffic calls from the vantage point of the control tower and not using the stars display to assist. (The replay of the radar data indicated the relative traffic positions that the controller was giving N7850P were several degrees off from where the traffic was actually located.) Without reporting visual contact with the Gulfstream, N7850P turned a left base. This ultimately placed N7850P inside of the Gulfstream's final approach path. A short time after the turn to base a near midair occurred (aircraft approximately 100 feet apart). ATC asked N7850P if they saw the Gulfstream traffic and Mr. Smith responded that he had the Gulfstream in sight. Moments later, ATC advised N7850P to expect a possible go-around. ATC issued the go-around approximately 29 seconds later. After the controller un-keyed the microphone, another aircraft on the frequency reported that N7850P had crashed. According to an airport fireman observing N7850P, the aircraft made a quick dip in the air and then entered a steep bank, followed by a corkscrew type maneuver into the ground. The ground scar indicated the aircraft may have entered into an incipient spin before striking the ground in a right wing and nose low attitude while on a westerly heading. The aircraft slid to a stop, about .9 miles from the landing threshold of ksdl runway 3. Shortly after coming to a stop, the passenger escaped before a post impact explosion and fire consumed most of the aircraft causing substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 15, 2011, N7850P A CIRRUS SR22 WAS PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HE WAS CARRYING ONE PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SHOW LOW AZ AIRPORT (KSOW) DESTINED FOR SCOTTSDALE AZ (KSDL). THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER DAYTIME VFR. N7850P ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT THE KSDL AIRPORT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. ATC TOLD N7850P TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND LEG AND THAT HE WOULD BE NUMBER 2 BEHIND A GULFSTREAM GV (G550) THAT WAS ON A 5 MILE LEFT BASE. ATC REPORTED THE GV TRAFFIC TO N7850P AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED THAT THE SUN WAS IN HIS EYES. (ATC MADE 2 PRIOR TRAFFIC REPORTS TO N7850P REGARDING THE GV TRAFFIC, WHICH HE DID NOT REPORT SEEING)THE SDL TOWER HAS A STARS RADAR DISPLAY FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES; EARLIER THAT DAY THE SYSTEM WAS REPORTED AS INTERMITTENT. THE CONTROLLER WAS MAKING THE TRAFFIC CALLS FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF THE CONTROL TOWER AND NOT USING THE STARS DISPLAY TO ASSIST. (THE REPLAY OF THE RADAR DATA INDICATED THE RELATIVE TRAFFIC POSITIONS THAT THE CONTROLLER WAS GIVING N7850P WERE SEVERAL DEGREES OFF FROM WHERE THE TRAFFIC WAS ACTUALLY LOCATED.) WITHOUT REPORTING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GULFSTREAM, N7850P TURNED A LEFT BASE. THIS ULTIMATELY PLACED N7850P INSIDE OF THE GULFSTREAM'S FINAL APPROACH PATH. A SHORT TIME AFTER THE TURN TO BASE A NEAR MIDAIR OCCURRED (AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET APART). ATC ASKED N7850P IF THEY SAW THE GULFSTREAM TRAFFIC AND MR. SMITH RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE GULFSTREAM IN SIGHT. MOMENTS LATER, ATC ADVISED N7850P TO EXPECT A POSSIBLE GO-AROUND. ATC ISSUED THE GO-AROUND APPROXIMATELY 29 SECONDS LATER. AFTER THE CONTROLLER UN-KEYED THE MICROPHONE, ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ON THE FREQUENCY REPORTED THAT N7850P HAD CRASHED. ACCORDING TO AN AIRPORT FIREMAN OBSERVING N7850P, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A QUICK DIP IN THE AIR AND THEN ENTERED A STEEP BANK, FOLLOWED BY A CORKSCREW TYPE MANEUVER INTO THE GROUND. THE GROUND SCAR INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE ENTERED INTO AN INCIPIENT SPIN BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND IN A RIGHT WING AND NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP, ABOUT .9 MILES FROM THE LANDING THRESHOLD OF KSDL RUNWAY 3. SHORTLY AFTER COMING TO A STOP, THE PASSENGER ESCAPED BEFORE A POST IMPACT EXPLOSION AND FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.