What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was receiving recurrent flight training on the day of the accident. The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that the flight originated at greenville downtown airport (gmu), greenville, south carolina about 1045, and they then proceeded to oconee county airport (ceu), clemson, south carolina, where the pilot performed 1 full stop practice landing, then departed for Anderson county regional airport (and), Anderson, south carolina. The CFI then observed the pilot as he performed about 6 or 7 practice takeoffs and landings, all of which terminated in a full stop and taxi back to runway 23. All of the landings practiced were utilizing normal procedures (no emergencies or simulated failures). The pilot then taxied the airplane to the fixed base operator (FBO), where the CFI disembarked the airplane and told the pilot to perform 3 additional practice full stop takeoffs and landings. The pilot's first takeoff and landing appeared normal. As the pilot flew around the traffic pattern, the CFI could hear him making the expected radio position reports via a speaker posted outside of the FBO. During the second circuit, the CFI was unable to hear the speaker over the noise of a jet's auxiliary power unit that had been started. As had happened during the first circuit, he lost sight of the airplane during the base leg of the traffic pattern, then reacquired the airplane's landing light as it turned on to the final leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane approached the runway in a stable descent, appeared to land normally without bouncing, touching down within the first 10 to 15 percent of the runway, as it had during the first landing. Expecting the airplane to continue down the runway and exit on a taxiway, he was surprised when he saw the landing light begin to ascend. As it approached, he could see that the airplane had pitched upward steeply, to an angle of about 40 degrees. The airplane climbed in that attitude until the left wing suddenly dropped, similar in appearance to an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then descended in a steep nose down attitude until the he lost sight of it behind sloping terrain southeast of runway 23. After impact, the aircraft caught fire. The CFI attempted to rescue the pilot, however he was unsuccessful due to the extent of the fire and had to cease his rescue attempt. The CFI obtained burns himself and had to be treated by EMS, he was released from the hospital later in the evening. At this time the cause is unknown and the -23 will be amended as information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS RECEIVING RECURRENT FLIGHT TRAINING ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) STATED THAT THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT GREENVILLE DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (GMU), GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1045, AND THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO OCONEE COUNTY AIRPORT (CEU), CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE THE PILOT PERFORMED 1 FULL STOP PRACTICE LANDING, THEN DEPARTED FOR ANDERSON COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (AND), ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE CFI THEN OBSERVED THE PILOT AS HE PERFORMED ABOUT 6 OR 7 PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, ALL OF WHICH TERMINATED IN A FULL STOP AND TAXI BACK TO RUNWAY 23. ALL OF THE LANDINGS PRACTICED WERE UTILIZING NORMAL PROCEDURES (NO EMERGENCIES OR SIMULATED FAILURES). THE PILOT THEN TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO), WHERE THE CFI DISEMBARKED THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD THE PILOT TO PERFORM 3 ADDITIONAL PRACTICE FULL STOP TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE PILOT'S FIRST TAKEOFF AND LANDING APPEARED NORMAL. AS THE PILOT FLEW AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE CFI COULD HEAR HIM MAKING THE EXPECTED RADIO POSITION REPORTS VIA A SPEAKER POSTED OUTSIDE OF THE FBO. DURING THE SECOND CIRCUIT, THE CFI WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE SPEAKER OVER THE NOISE OF A JET'S AUXILIARY POWER UNIT THAT HAD BEEN STARTED. AS HAD HAPPENED DURING THE FIRST CIRCUIT, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE BASE LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THEN REACQUIRED THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING LIGHT AS IT TURNED ON TO THE FINAL LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY IN A STABLE DESCENT, APPEARED TO LAND NORMALLY WITHOUT BOUNCING, TOUCHING DOWN WITHIN THE FIRST 10 TO 15 PERCENT OF THE RUNWAY, AS IT HAD DURING THE FIRST LANDING. EXPECTING THE AIRPLANE TO CONTINUE DOWN THE RUNWAY AND EXIT ON A TAXIWAY, HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN HE SAW THE LANDING LIGHT BEGIN TO ASCEND. AS IT APPROACHED, HE COULD SEE THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD PITCHED UPWARD STEEPLY, TO AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 40 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED IN THAT ATTITUDE UNTIL THE LEFT WING SUDDENLY DROPPED, SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE TO AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL THE HE LOST SIGHT OF IT BEHIND SLOPING TERRAIN SOUTHEAST OF RUNWAY 23. AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE.THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO RESCUE THE PILOT, HOWEVER HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE FIRE AND HAD TO CEASE HIS RESCUE ATTEMPT. THE CFI OBTAINED BURNS HIMSELF AND HAD TO BE TREATED BY EMS, HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LATER IN THE EVENING. AT THIS TIME THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN AND THE -23 WILL BE AMENDED AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.