What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident pilot was flight testing his lnc-iv amatuer built aircraft in accordance with phase I. He departed Winnsboro airport (F89) at approximately 1109 and was heard and seen returning to F89 at approximately 1245 by witnesses that were outside a hangar. The aircraft was seen flying at an altitude of about 75 feet down runway 18. At the intersection of the taxiway, witnesses stated that the landing gear was beginning to reteract when they saw the aircraft start to pitch up. At this point the witnesses in front of the hangar lost sight of the aircraft due to trees. Another witness located on the right side of the departure end of ruway 18 near a building stated that he saw the aircraft pitch nose up and at that moment, the engine stopped running. He saw the aircraft roll to the right and disappear behind a foliage covered fence he was standing behind. He stated that he heard the sound of a crash but did not actually see the aircraft hit the ground. A final witness located approximately 1/2 mile from the approach end of runway 18 stated that he witnessed the aircraft fly down the length of the runway and then the nose pitched up and the engine stopped running. This was followed by a roll to the right and the aircraft crashing into the grass.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS FLIGHT TESTING HIS LNC-IV AMATUER BUILT AIRCRAFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PHASE I. HE DEPARTED WINNSBORO AIRPORT (F89) AT APPROXIMATELY 1109 AND WAS HEARD AND SEEN RETURNING TO F89 AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 BY WITNESSES THAT WERE OUTSIDE A HANGAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN FLYING AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 75 FEET DOWN RUNWAY 18. AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TAXIWAY, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS BEGINNING TO RETERACT WHEN THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT START TO PITCH UP. AT THIS POINT THE WITNESSES IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO TREES. ANOTHER WITNESS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUWAY 18 NEAR A BUILDING STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT PITCH NOSE UP AND AT THAT MOMENT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND DISAPPEAR BEHIND A FOLIAGE COVERED FENCE HE WAS STANDING BEHIND. HE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE SOUND OF A CRASH BUT DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND. A FINAL WITNESS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18 STATED THAT HE WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT FLY DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY AND THEN THE NOSE PITCHED UP AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHING INTO THE GRASS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.