What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Based on eyewitness reports the following occurred: eyewitness heard engine sputtering and looked up to see airplane making abrupt nose dives and recoveries to level flight, approximately three times, with associated engine sputtering and the sound of the engine throttling up. He said that he saw the ailerons going up and down and the right-hand elevator flailing in the wind with the pilot working the control stick forward and aft and right to left. He did not witness the airplane impacting the ground but before losing sight of the airplane he saw that the prop had stopped turning and did not hear any engine noise.
A Prineville, OR, police officer witnessed the aircraft fly over a one-story building at approximately 3-stories in altitude. The officer reported that the tail of the aircraft was shaking badly with a corresponding thumping sound. He saw the prop turning but the engine did not sound smooth, like it was missing, not firing on all cylinders. The pilot of the aircraft had to immediately gain altitude to clear power lines across the road. After clearing the power lines the aircraft impacted the ground at almost a 90° angle, approximately 30 yards from the road, on Prineville Airport property. The pilot was found in the wreckage, and determined to be dead at the scene.
As the FAA filed it
BASED ON EYEWITNESS REPORTS THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: EYEWITNESS HEARD ENGINE SPUTTERING AND LOOKED UP TO SEE AIRPLANE MAKING ABRUPT NOSE DIVES AND RECOVERIES TO LEVEL FLIGHT, APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES, WITH ASSOCIATED ENGINE SPUTTERING AND THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE THROTTLING UP. HE SAID THAT HE SAW THE AILERONS GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE RIGHT-HAND ELEVATOR FLAILING IN THE WIND WITH THE PILOT WORKING THE CONTROL STICK FORWARD AND AFT AND RIGHT TO LEFT. HE DID NOT WITNESS THE AIRPLANE IMPACTING THE GROUND BUT BEFORE LOSING SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE HE SAW THAT THE PROP HAD STOPPED TURNING AND DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISE.
A PRINEVILLE, OR, POLICE OFFICER WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVER A ONE-STORY BUILDING AT APPROXIMATELY 3-STORIES IN ALTITUDE. THE OFFICER REPORTED THAT THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHAKING BADLY WITH A CORRESPONDING THUMPING SOUND. HE SAW THE PROP TURNING BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT SOUND SMOOTH, LIKE IT WAS MISSING, NOT FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO IMMEDIATELY GAIN ALTITUDE TO CLEAR POWER LINES ACROSS THE ROAD. AFTER CLEARING THE POWER LINES THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT ALMOST A 90° ANGLE, APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM THE ROAD, ON PRINEVILLE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE PILOT WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE, AND DETERMINED TO BE DEAD AT THE SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.