What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/19/2014, at approximately 1000 hours, witness at the Lake Placid Airport observed an aircraft abort a landing about 10 feet off the ground on runway 14, due to another aircraft approaching runway 32, in the opposite direction, about 100 to 200 feet above the trees.
According to the witness, the two pilot?s saw each other and each aircraft climbed to right of the runway. Pilot?s of both aircraft understood the situation, and begun to re-establish airport pattern for landing on runway 14.
Airport witness stated that the PIC, of the Mooney aircraft was heard on the UNICOM radio stating that he would follow in the other aircraft in for a landing on runway 14.
At this point, witness identified the aircraft only as a Mooney, which he saw fly over the end of the runway. He also noted that the landing gear in the down position.
Witness then stated he observed the aircraft climbing at a noticeably steeper angle than normal with the aircraft pitching to the right, at low speed. The witness further stated that he observed the aircraft starting to make a left turn with the nose of the aircraft dropping vertically.
Witness then stated that he saw the aircraft go into a counter clockwise spin towards the ground at such a fast rate, that the aircraft did not make a complete turn before it went out of site.
On 07/19/2014, at approximately 1015 hours, aircraft struck a cluster of pine trees, then impacted the ground in a horizontal or relatively flat position, approximately ¾ of mile north-east of Lake Placid Airport, located in upstate new york.
Immediately following the impact, a fire erupted and consumed the cabin area of the aircraft, as stated by a witness who was working near a barn, where the accident occurred.
A short time later, first responders arrived and extinguished the fire. Shortly their after, local authorities found the pilot in command, and two passengers fatally injured inside the aircraft.
On 07/19/2014, at approximately 1430 hours, members from the flight standard district office (FSDO) located in albany, new york, arrived to assist in the investigation with the national safety transportation board (NTSB). Probable cause of the accident is still unknown at this time.
Narrative statement is subject to amendment, pending further investigation by the national safety transportation board.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/19/2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS, WITNESS AT THE LAKE PLACID AIRPORT OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT ABORT A LANDING ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND ON RUNWAY 14, DUE TO ANOTHER AIRCRAFT APPROACHING RUNWAY 32, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, ABOUT 100 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES.
ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE TWO PILOT?S SAW EACH OTHER AND EACH AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT?S OF BOTH AIRCRAFT UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION, AND BEGUN TO RE-ESTABLISH AIRPORT PATTERN FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 14.
AIRPORT WITNESS STATED THAT THE PIC, OF THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT WAS HEARD ON THE UNICOM RADIO STATING THAT HE WOULD FOLLOW IN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT IN FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 14.
AT THIS POINT, WITNESS IDENTIFIED THE AIRCRAFT ONLY AS A MOONEY, WHICH HE SAW FLY OVER THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION.
WITNESS THEN STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBING AT A NOTICEABLY STEEPER ANGLE THAN NORMAL WITH THE AIRCRAFT PITCHING TO THE RIGHT, AT LOW SPEED. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT STARTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPING VERTICALLY.
WITNESS THEN STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT GO INTO A COUNTER CLOCKWISE SPIN TOWARDS THE GROUND AT SUCH A FAST RATE, THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT MAKE A COMPLETE TURN BEFORE IT WENT OUT OF SITE.
ON 07/19/2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1015 HOURS, AIRCRAFT STRUCK A CLUSTER OF PINE TREES, THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A HORIZONTAL OR RELATIVELY FLAT POSITION, APPROXIMATELY ¾ OF MILE NORTH-EAST OF LAKE PLACID AIRPORT, LOCATED IN UPSTATE NEW YORK.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE IMPACT, A FIRE ERUPTED AND CONSUMED THE CABIN AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT, AS STATED BY A WITNESS WHO WAS WORKING NEAR A BARN, WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
A SHORT TIME LATER, FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. SHORTLY THEIR AFTER, LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOUND THE PILOT IN COMMAND, AND TWO PASSENGERS FATALLY INJURED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT.
ON 07/19/2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS, MEMBERS FROM THE FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) LOCATED IN ALBANY, NEW YORK, ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN THE INVESTIGATION WITH THE NATIONAL SAFETY TRANSPORTATION BOARD (NTSB). PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS STILL UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT IS SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT, PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE NATIONAL SAFETY TRANSPORTATION BOARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.