What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
11/23/2012ON 11/23/2012, the subject aircraft departed taxiway d from tucson international airport without ATC clearance. On 11/28/2012, the accident aircraft was located approximately 30 miles south of interstate 8 and about 15 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border. Two FAA inspectors arrived on scene at 1700 hours local time, in the cabeza prieta national wildlife preserve at the coordinates indicated. The wreckage was located approximately 150 yards off of the small dirt road known as papago road. The wreckage was upside down with the nose of the aircraft pointing toward compass point 340. Directly in front of the aircraft was a crater approximately two feet wide at each end and four feet wide in the center. The length of the crater coincided with the span of the aircraft wings, indicating the aircraft had crashed in a direct nose down attitude. The engine, propeller, cowling, and leading edges of the wings showed severe crushing damage. The engine compartment had been crushed into the flight compartment and the wings showed approximately 24 inches of accordion damage. The nose cone had been hydroformed around the propeller hub from impact forces. The propeller was bent backwards and showed little to no rotational damage. The cabin of the aircraft was destroyed by crushing forces. The right side of the cabin split open as a result of crushing forces. Debris from the aircraft and cabin contents were ejected out as FAR as 50 feet away. The rear cabin seats had dismounted and crashed into the front of the cabin. The empennage showed forward momentum crushing forces, but was otherwise intact. The wings remained attached to the aircraft. The fuel tanks were split open and empty; however, there was no indication of hydraulic deformation of the fuel tanks. The fuel caps were in place. There was no indication of fuel on the ground or in the impact crater. The trailing edges of the wings showed forward momentum damage, e.g. bowed ailerons. The pilot was partially ejected out of the left side of the aircraft. The participants all left the scene at approximately 1930 MST. FAA investigators arrived in Yuma at 2100 hours and met with the NTSB investigator for an outbrief. 11/29/2012FAA investigators accompanied the NTSB to the accident scene to complete investigation and supervise the recovery of the wreckage. The aircraft was recovered and sent to a salvage yard for further inspection.11/30/2012NTSB and FAA investigators supervised the disassembly and inspection of the wreckage by the manufacturer's investigators.
As the FAA filed it
11/23/2012ON 11/23/2012, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TAXIWAY D FROM TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITHOUT ATC CLEARANCE. ON 11/28/2012, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 8 AND ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER. TWO FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1700 HOURS LOCAL TIME, IN THE CABEZA PRIETA NATIONAL WILDLIFE PRESERVE AT THE COORDINATES INDICATED. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS OFF OF THE SMALL DIRT ROAD KNOWN AS PAPAGO ROAD. THE WRECKAGE WAS UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTING TOWARD COMPASS POINT 340. DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS A CRATER APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET WIDE AT EACH END AND FOUR FEET WIDE IN THE CENTER. THE LENGTH OF THE CRATER COINCIDED WITH THE SPAN OF THE AIRCRAFT WINGS, INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED IN A DIRECT NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, COWLING, AND LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS SHOWED SEVERE CRUSHING DAMAGE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAD BEEN CRUSHED INTO THE FLIGHT COMPARTMENT AND THE WINGS SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OF ACCORDION DAMAGE. THE NOSE CONE HAD BEEN HYDROFORMED AROUND THE PROPELLER HUB FROM IMPACT FORCES. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT BACKWARDS AND SHOWED LITTLE TO NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY CRUSHING FORCES. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CABIN SPLIT OPEN AS A RESULT OF CRUSHING FORCES. DEBRIS FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND CABIN CONTENTS WERE EJECTED OUT AS FAR AS 50 FEET AWAY. THE REAR CABIN SEATS HAD DISMOUNTED AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CABIN. THE EMPENNAGE SHOWED FORWARD MOMENTUM CRUSHING FORCES, BUT WAS OTHERWISE INTACT. THE WINGS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE SPLIT OPEN AND EMPTY; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF HYDRAULIC DEFORMATION OF THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL CAPS WERE IN PLACE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FUEL ON THE GROUND OR IN THE IMPACT CRATER. THE TRAILING EDGES OF THE WINGS SHOWED FORWARD MOMENTUM DAMAGE, E.G. BOWED AILERONS. THE PILOT WAS PARTIALLY EJECTED OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PARTICIPANTS ALL LEFT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 MST. FAA INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED IN YUMA AT 2100 HOURS AND MET WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR FOR AN OUTBRIEF. 11/29/2012FAA INVESTIGATORS ACCOMPANIED THE NTSB TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE TO COMPLETE INVESTIGATION AND SUPERVISE THE RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND SENT TO A SALVAGE YARD FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.11/30/2012NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATORS SUPERVISED THE DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE MANUFACTURER'S INVESTIGATORS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.