What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft N51336, an experimental light sport aircraft, flown by a certificated sport pilot, impacted terrain near Whitewater, CA, on the evening of may 12, 2012, at approximately 1915 PDT, resulting in fatal injuries to the pilot and substantial damage to the aircraft. Eyewitnesses (2) to the accident reported seeing the aircraft, flying on a westbound heading, appear to depart from controlled flight when the aircraft entered a 270 degree left turn (to a northerly heading), "flip", and begin a rapid descent from an estimated altitude of 400 feet AGL. The ballistic recovery system parachute was seen deploying during the descent by the eyewitnesses. Investigation of the accident scene determined that the weather was VMC, with gusty winds reported from the west at 18 knots, gusting to 30 knots. The accident location was in a valley that lies approximately north/south, on the lee side of the western ridgeline. The aircrafts right wing appeared to sustain the majority of the damage, with damage also noted to the left main landing gear. Ground scars indicate the aircraft was headed on a southeasterly heading at the point of impact, and, after impacting the ground, the aircraft appeared to pivot on the right wing and come to a rest pointed northwest bound, upside down.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT N51336, AN EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, FLOWN BY A CERTIFICATED SPORT PILOT, IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR WHITEWATER, CA, ON THE EVENING OF MAY 12, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 1915 PDT, RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. EYEWITNESSES (2) TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT, FLYING ON A WESTBOUND HEADING, APPEAR TO DEPART FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A 270 DEGREE LEFT TURN (TO A NORTHERLY HEADING), "FLIP", AND BEGIN A RAPID DESCENT FROM AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 400 FEET AGL. THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM PARACHUTE WAS SEEN DEPLOYING DURING THE DESCENT BY THE EYEWITNESSES. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE DETERMINED THAT THE WEATHER WAS VMC, WITH GUSTY WINDS REPORTED FROM THE WEST AT 18 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 30 KNOTS. THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS IN A VALLEY THAT LIES APPROXIMATELY NORTH/SOUTH, ON THE LEE SIDE OF THE WESTERN RIDGELINE. THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING APPEARED TO SUSTAIN THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE, WITH DAMAGE ALSO NOTED TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. GROUND SCARS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADED ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, AND, AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO PIVOT ON THE RIGHT WING AND COME TO A REST POINTED NORTHWEST BOUND, UPSIDE DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.