What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 25, 2013, about 0932 eastern daylight time, experimental amateur built glastar GS-1, N513GC, was destroyed after impacting a tree and residence at privacy data omitted, Columbus, Indiana. A subsequent post-crash fire consumed the aircraft aft of the engine firewall and a large portion of the residence. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries (August 2, 2013) and the passenger sustained serious injuries as a result of the post-crash fire, where they evacuated the aircraft without assistance from first responders to the scene. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The flight departed Columbus Municipal Airport (bak), Columbus, Indiana at 0929 eastern daylight time.
According to audio tapes provided by the contract control tower at Columbus Municipal Airport the intent of the flight was to conduct three touch and goes and was cleared to takeoff on runway 23 following directions ?left close, report base? (Note, this is contrary to FAA from 8020-9 ? Right traffic).
Passenger interview statements indicate there were no problems noted during takeoff and climb to pattern height of 1500 feet in a strong climb. Passenger stated that as the aircraft turned downwind, he observed the pilot frantically working with the electric propeller pitch control switch and the engine was running wide open. He observed the aircraft was at less than 1000 feet and descending rapidly. The passenger stated he touched the control stick and then let go of the stick as it appeared to be fully back. He stated that the aircraft never dropped a wing during this action.
The aircraft struck a tree approximately 30 feet above the ground in the southwest corner of the residential lot and impacted the residence's living room roof continuing through the roof and east wall of the residence coming to rest (bearing of 125 degrees) approximately 53 feet from the base of the impacted tree.
The aircraft and pilot logbooks were not recoverable from the aircraft.
Subsequent post-crash investigations indicate that the propeller was determined to be in negative pitch at impact and the electric pitch control motor was not operable when specified voltage was applied.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 25, 2013, ABOUT 0932 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT GLASTAR GS-1, N513GC, WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING A TREE AND RESIDENCE AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COLUMBUS, INDIANA. A SUBSEQUENT POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT AFT OF THE ENGINE FIREWALL AND A LARGE PORTION OF THE RESIDENCE. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES (AUGUST 2, 2013) AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE POST-CRASH FIRE, WHERE THEY EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE SCENE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (BAK), COLUMBUS, INDIANA AT 0929 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME.
ACCORDING TO AUDIO TAPES PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACT CONTROL TOWER AT COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT THE INTENT OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT THREE TOUCH AND GOES AND WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 23 FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS ?LEFT CLOSE, REPORT BASE? (NOTE, THIS IS CONTRARY TO FAA FROM 8020-9 ? RIGHT TRAFFIC).
PASSENGER INTERVIEW STATEMENTS INDICATE THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS NOTED DURING TAKEOFF AND CLIMB TO PATTERN HEIGHT OF 1500 FEET IN A STRONG CLIMB. PASSENGER STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED DOWNWIND, HE OBSERVED THE PILOT FRANTICALLY WORKING WITH THE ELECTRIC PROPELLER PITCH CONTROL SWITCH AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WIDE OPEN. HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT LESS THAN 1000 FEET AND DESCENDING RAPIDLY. THE PASSENGER STATED HE TOUCHED THE CONTROL STICK AND THEN LET GO OF THE STICK AS IT APPEARED TO BE FULLY BACK. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEVER DROPPED A WING DURING THIS ACTION.
THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE RESIDENTIAL LOT AND IMPACTED THE RESIDENCE'S LIVING ROOM ROOF CONTINUING THROUGH THE ROOF AND EAST WALL OF THE RESIDENCE COMING TO REST (BEARING OF 125 DEGREES) APPROXIMATELY 53 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE IMPACTED TREE.
THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT RECOVERABLE FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
SUBSEQUENT POST-CRASH INVESTIGATIONS INDICATE THAT THE PROPELLER WAS DETERMINED TO BE IN NEGATIVE PITCH AT IMPACT AND THE ELECTRIC PITCH CONTROL MOTOR WAS NOT OPERABLE WHEN SPECIFIED VOLTAGE WAS APPLIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.