What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 12, 2014 at approximately 2105 pacific daylight time (PDT), an experimental-Dittenber express Auriga, N55GM, impacted terrain while attempting to land at the Echo Bay Airport (0L9), near Echo Bay, Nevada. The privacy data omittedpilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91.
The airplane was completely destroyed and the private pilot and one passenger appeared to have sustained fatal injuries caused by impact forces and post-crash fire.
The cross-country personal flight departed minden, Nevada, about 1800 PDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
A caretaker for a nearby mobile home park, located approximately 2 miles east of the Echo Bay Airport, reported seeing the airplane make a circling low pass to the east of the airport, flying near the park and reversing course, presumably to land at 0L9 using rwy 24.
The witness lost sight of the airplane as it neared the airport. A few minutes later the witness observed a column of black smoke near the airport and drove to the airport, finding an intense fire burning on a sparsely vegetated hillside located approximately 240 yards to the east of the approach end of runway 24.
Investigation at the crash site revealed the airplane appeared to have impacted terrain in a steep nose down attitude. The debris field was approximately 100 feet in diameter, with a pronounced distribution pattern heading to the west of what appeared to be the initial point of impact. The airplane was mostly consumed by the post-impact fire.
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the engine appeared to have been producing power at the time of impact and all primary and secondary flight controls were intact with the aircraft and appeared to exhibit operational continuity.
The airplane wreckage was recovered for further examination.
Report to be amended pending location of pilot and aircraft records.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 12, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 2105 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT), AN EXPERIMENTAL-DITTENBER EXPRESS AURIGA, N55GM, IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THE ECHO BAY AIRPORT (0L9), NEAR ECHO BAY, NEVADA. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91.
THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES CAUSED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POST-CRASH FIRE.
THE CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED MINDEN, NEVADA, ABOUT 1800 PDT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
A CARETAKER FOR A NEARBY MOBILE HOME PARK, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES EAST OF THE ECHO BAY AIRPORT, REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE MAKE A CIRCLING LOW PASS TO THE EAST OF THE AIRPORT, FLYING NEAR THE PARK AND REVERSING COURSE, PRESUMABLY TO LAND AT 0L9 USING RWY 24.
THE WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT NEARED THE AIRPORT. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE WITNESS OBSERVED A COLUMN OF BLACK SMOKE NEAR THE AIRPORT AND DROVE TO THE AIRPORT, FINDING AN INTENSE FIRE BURNING ON A SPARSELY VEGETATED HILLSIDE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 240 YARDS TO THE EAST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 24.
INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET IN DIAMETER, WITH A PRONOUNCED DISTRIBUTION PATTERN HEADING TO THE WEST OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY THE POST-IMPACT FIRE.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT AND ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE INTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND APPEARED TO EXHIBIT OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY.
THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
REPORT TO BE AMENDED PENDING LOCATION OF PILOT AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.