What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 6, 2014, about 1937 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RV-7, N57DC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Monroe airpark (2FA2),
Summerfield, Florida. The commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Witnesses reported that the pilot had been assisting with the production of a film throughout the afternoon, and that the purpose of the accident flight was to take video footage from the air. After
Departing from the Grass runway, the airplane entered a circular orbit to the left. The airplane had completed three circuits, when during the fourth, it entered a rapid descent as engine power
Increased. During the descent, the wings rolled nearly level before the airplane impacted the ground in a nose low, slight left bank attitude. The final two seconds of the flight were captured on video from the ground. Review of the video footage showed a final descent and impact that coincided with the descriptions provided by witnesses. The engine sound from the beginning of the video through impact was smooth and continuous. The airplane came to rest upright about 10 feet beyond the initial impact point, and both main landing gear had collapsed. The fuselage displayed significant aft crush damage in the area of the firewall, instrument panel, and cockpit.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 6, 2014, ABOUT 1937 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT RV-7, N57DC, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR MONROE AIRPARK (2FA2),
SUMMERFIELD, FLORIDA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN ASSISTING WITH THE PRODUCTION OF A FILM THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON, AND THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS TO TAKE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE AIR. AFTER
DEPARTING FROM THE GRASS RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A CIRCULAR ORBIT TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE HAD COMPLETED THREE CIRCUITS, WHEN DURING THE FOURTH, IT ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT AS ENGINE POWER
INCREASED. DURING THE DESCENT, THE WINGS ROLLED NEARLY LEVEL BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW, SLIGHT LEFT BANK ATTITUDE. THE FINAL TWO SECONDS OF THE FLIGHT WERE CAPTURED ON VIDEO FROM THE GROUND. REVIEW OF THE VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWED A FINAL DESCENT AND IMPACT THAT COINCIDED WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS PROVIDED BY WITNESSES. THE ENGINE SOUND FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO THROUGH IMPACT WAS SMOOTH AND CONTINUOUS. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ABOUT 10 FEET BEYOND THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT, AND BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. THE FUSELAGE DISPLAYED SIGNIFICANT AFT CRUSH DAMAGE IN THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND COCKPIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.