What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in VMC at his home airport with a friend on board. He made several approaches over the runway for friends on the ground to watch. Last approach to land was from the east. Aircraft was heard but not seen impacting the trees approx. 500 feet short of the runway threshold.
On site investigation the next morning showed the airplane was totally destroyed after impacting a group of trees along the runway center line and approx. 500 feet short of the runway threshold.
The aircraft entered the trees inverted. The right wing impacted a tree at approx. 25 feet above the ground, the tail and horizontal stabilizers impacted another tree at a slightly higher height. Both wings and the empennage separated from the fuselage during the impacts. After striking the trees, the airplane then continued down through the tree branches separating several pieces of the airplane. The airplane traveled no more than 60 to 70 feet along the flight path of approx. 290 degrees magnetic scattering small pieces of the airplane before burrowing the nose cowl and the engine into the ground.
Paperwork found in the airplane showed the pilot held a private pilot certificate and an expired second class medical certificate. His last flight review was on 08-14-2014. The aircraft had a proper airworthiness certificate and limitation associated with an experimental amateur built aircraft and a current and valid registration certificate.
As the FAA filed it
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A PERSONAL FLIGHT IN VMC AT HIS HOME AIRPORT WITH A FRIEND ON BOARD. HE MADE SEVERAL APPROACHES OVER THE RUNWAY FOR FRIENDS ON THE GROUND TO WATCH. LAST APPROACH TO LAND WAS FROM THE EAST. AIRCRAFT WAS HEARD BUT NOT SEEN IMPACTING THE TREES APPROX. 500 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD.
ON SITE INVESTIGATION THE NEXT MORNING SHOWED THE AIRPLANE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING A GROUP OF TREES ALONG THE RUNWAY CENTER LINE AND APPROX. 500 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD.
THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TREES INVERTED. THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A TREE AT APPROX. 25 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE TAIL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS IMPACTED ANOTHER TREE AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER HEIGHT. BOTH WINGS AND THE EMPENNAGE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE DURING THE IMPACTS. AFTER STRIKING THE TREES, THE AIRPLANE THEN CONTINUED DOWN THROUGH THE TREE BRANCHES SEPARATING SEVERAL PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED NO MORE THAN 60 TO 70 FEET ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH OF APPROX. 290 DEGREES MAGNETIC SCATTERING SMALL PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE BURROWING THE NOSE COWL AND THE ENGINE INTO THE GROUND.
PAPERWORK FOUND IN THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE AND AN EXPIRED SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. HIS LAST FLIGHT REVIEW WAS ON 08-14-2014. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A PROPER AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND LIMITATION ASSOCIATED WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT AND A CURRENT AND VALID REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.