What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 20, 2014 at approximately 1430 mountain standard time (MST), a single engine, Mooney 20B, serial number 1895, N74584, impacted steep canyon terrain, approximately 35 miles southeast of Page, Arizona. The aircraft wreckage was located at approximately 5,242 feet (MSL). The weather report observed from Page, Arizona at the approximate time of the accident indicated 92.0 degrees farenheit and winds were out of the north at approximately 8 mph. 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 commercial pilot and sole passenger appeared to have sustained fatal injuries caused by impact forces and post-crash fire.
The cross-country personal flight departed Page, Arizona, at about 1400
MST. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had
Been filed.
Investigation at the crash site revealed the airplane appeared to have
Impacted the terrain, approximately 37 feet from the floor of an approximatey 400 foot tall canyon wall, in a nearly flat attitude, relative to the approximate 68 degree steep slope, with low forward velocity. The general debris field was very compact, approximately 30 feet in diameter. The engine was separated from the aircraft and located approximately 80 feet directly west of the fuselage wreckage. One propeller blade was separated from the engine and located approximately 150 feet northwest of the fuselage wreckage. The airplane was mostly consumed by the post-impact fire.
An examination of the aircraft and engine revealed that the engine appeared to have been producing power at the time of impact. Examination of the remaining primary and secondary flight controls appeared to exhibit operational continuity.
The airplane wreckage was recovered for further examination.
An engine teardown was performed by Lycoming personnel and revealed that both magneto?s appeared to be operating correctly, all valves, lifters and pistons appeared to be undamaged and operating correctly. The #1 cylinder was disassembled further due to the #1 exhaust valve pushrod appearing bent. Upon disassembly, there appeared to be no damage to the intake or exhaust valves, valve guides, valve seats or valve springs. Heavy deposits and fouling contained on the #2 cylinder spark plug electrodes. The remaining sparks plugs appeared to be in normal operating condition.
Report to be amended pending acquisition of pilot and aircraft records.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 20, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), A SINGLE ENGINE, MOONEY 20B, SERIAL NUMBER 1895, N74584, IMPACTED STEEP CANYON TERRAIN, APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PAGE, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 5,242 FEET (MSL). THE WEATHER REPORT OBSERVED FROM PAGE, ARIZONA AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED 92.0 DEGREES FARENHEIT AND WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 8 MPH. 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 COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES CAUSED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POST-CRASH FIRE.
THE CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED PAGE, ARIZONA, AT ABOUT 1400
MST. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD
BEEN FILED.
INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE
IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, APPROXIMATELY 37 FEET FROM THE FLOOR OF AN APPROXIMATEY 400 FOOT TALL CANYON WALL, IN A NEARLY FLAT ATTITUDE, RELATIVE TO THE APPROXIMATE 68 DEGREE STEEP SLOPE, WITH LOW FORWARD VELOCITY. THE GENERAL DEBRIS FIELD WAS VERY COMPACT, APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET IN DIAMETER. THE ENGINE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET DIRECTLY WEST OF THE FUSELAGE WRECKAGE. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE FUSELAGE WRECKAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY THE POST-IMPACT FIRE.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE REMAINING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FLIGHT CONTROLS APPEARED TO EXHIBIT OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY.
THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
AN ENGINE TEARDOWN WAS PERFORMED BY LYCOMING PERSONNEL AND REVEALED THAT BOTH MAGNETO?S APPEARED TO BE OPERATING CORRECTLY, ALL VALVES, LIFTERS AND PISTONS APPEARED TO BE UNDAMAGED AND OPERATING CORRECTLY. THE #1 CYLINDER WAS DISASSEMBLED FURTHER DUE TO THE #1 EXHAUST VALVE PUSHROD APPEARING BENT. UPON DISASSEMBLY, THERE APPEARED TO BE NO DAMAGE TO THE INTAKE OR EXHAUST VALVES, VALVE GUIDES, VALVE SEATS OR VALVE SPRINGS. HEAVY DEPOSITS AND FOULING CONTAINED ON THE #2 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG ELECTRODES. THE REMAINING SPARKS PLUGS APPEARED TO BE IN NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION.
REPORT TO BE AMENDED PENDING ACQUISITION 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.