What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Scott clarke departed the salinas airport (ksns) on November 11, 2012 at approximately 1830 local. Mr. Clarke had 173 gallons of fuel added to the aircraft and purchased 4 quarts of oil before the flight. The airplane was fueled between 1400 and 1600 local time. Mr. Clarke was accompanied by his father for the return trip to omaha. Before departure Mr. Clarke had a known inoperative vacuum pump on the left engine. Mr. Clarke made the decision to fly with the pump inoperative. A replacement pump could have been obtained by Tuesday according to the mechanic. Mr. Clarke climbed the aircraft to 27,000 feet where the aircraft leveled off for the trip. Approximately 6 minutes after leveling off at 27,000 feet , oakland center saw the aircraft depart 27,000 feet in a steep descent. A witness saw the aircraft descending over the town of Shaver Lake, CA. And witnessed an "explosion". We inspected the aircraft at the point of impact, which was also were the airplane came to rest in an inverted position. The aircraft was missing its wings outboard of the engine nacelles and was also missing the horizontal stabilizer. The wings were located ½ mile south east of the impact site and pieces of the stabilizer were found up to 1 mile south east of the impact site. Fire consumed the fuselage from the instrument panel to the rear bulkhead. The aircraft was removed to a site in sacramento for further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
SCOTT CLARKE DEPARTED THE SALINAS AIRPORT (KSNS) ON NOVEMBER 11, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 LOCAL. MR. CLARKE HAD 173 GALLONS OF FUEL ADDED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND PURCHASED 4 QUARTS OF OIL BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS FUELED BETWEEN 1400 AND 1600 LOCAL TIME. MR. CLARKE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS FATHER FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO OMAHA. BEFORE DEPARTURE MR. CLARKE HAD A KNOWN INOPERATIVE VACUUM PUMP ON THE LEFT ENGINE. MR. CLARKE MADE THE DECISION TO FLY WITH THE PUMP INOPERATIVE. A REPLACEMENT PUMP COULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED BY TUESDAY ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. MR. CLARKE CLIMBED THE AIRCRAFT TO 27,000 FEET WHERE THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF FOR THE TRIP. APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 27,000 FEET , OAKLAND CENTER SAW THE AIRCRAFT DEPART 27,000 FEET IN A STEEP DESCENT. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING OVER THE TOWN OF SHAVER LAKE, CA. AND WITNESSED AN "EXPLOSION". WE INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, WHICH WAS ALSO WERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MISSING ITS WINGS OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE NACELLES AND WAS ALSO MISSING THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE WINGS WERE LOCATED ½ MILE SOUTH EAST OF THE IMPACT SITE AND PIECES OF THE STABILIZER WERE FOUND UP TO 1 MILE SOUTH EAST OF THE IMPACT SITE. FIRE CONSUMED THE FUSELAGE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE REAR BULKHEAD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED TO A SITE IN SACRAMENTO FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.